Juicy Couture TROY SURRATT 24 KARAT COUTURE LIPGLOSS and DEBORAH LIPPMANN HERE COMES THE QUEEN Nail Polish Set Swatches and Review

This is my 1,000 post!!!  EEEE!  *celebratory dance* Okay, now that we have that out of the way.... =D

Over the holidays, Deborah Lippmann got with Juicy Couture and made some festive sets.  I had actually only thought there were trios of nail polish released, but on an after holiday jaunt to the mall I saw a set (hidden, mind you, buwhahahha!) of a flashy golden Deborah Lippmann top coat and some sort of champagne bottle lookin' thing.

Upon further investigation I saw the champagne bottle looking thing was in fact a Troy Surratt 24 Karat Couture Lip Gloss (which the salesgirl told me was totally clear, you'll see later she was wrong).  Seeing as how the name didn't ring a bell, I decided to educate myself by searching the interwebs.
Please enjoy this short bio on Troy Surratt from Teen Vogue:

Troy Surratt spent his childhood dreaming of beauty and fashion—and of getting out of the Midwest. After high school, he picked up and moved to New York City to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. In between classes and studying, Surratt found time to assist renowned fashion designer Randolph Duke. But the gowns on the runway didn't draw him in as much as the behind-the-scenes creations of the makeup artists, so Surratt shifted gears to focus on beauty. Shortly thereafter, his work caught the attention of makeup legend Kevyn Aucoin, further catapulting Surratt's career. Surratt went on to help launch beauty brand Tarte, act as a spokesperson for online retailer beauty.com, and work with dozens of starlets along the way, from Zooey Deschanel to Charlize Theron. But this fast-paced lifestyle hasn't altered his simple yet fearless philosophy: "At the end of the day, it all washes off. So why not go for it?" —MAURA LYNCH

I assume this is the right bio since the other Troy Surratt I found is working for the U.S. Air Force Academy.

On the the photos and review!

 (outdoors, with flash)

 (outdoors, no flash)

This is such a gorgeous set to look at, it's no wonder that it jumped out at me, even while hidden.

As you can see, the Troy Surratt 24 Karat Couture Lip Gloss is not clear on the swatch, but rather a beautiful, shimmery gold.  On the lips, you can see the shimmer a BIT, but not so much that it's garish.  I found the gloss to be thick and moisturizing, but not sticky.

Deborah Lippmann Here Comes The Queen is likely my favorite polish ever (that I've tried) from her line, and quite possibly in my top 10 polishes of all time.  The base is clear with random sized gold flakies throughout.  It was easy to apply and no flakie maneuvering was necessary.  I used one coat of this polish over top of China Glaze Fuchsia Fanatic for the swatch photos.

The retail on this set was $48.00.  But then it was on sale for $23.99.  And then it was another 40% off I believe (I paid like $15 something with the tax?).... so if you can possibly still find this at Juicy Couture, it's likely to be super cheap, since it's been a bit since I picked it up.

Deborah Lippmann PURPLE RAIN Nail Polish Swatches and Review

Deborah Lippmann Purple Rain Nail Polish is a shade that was a gift with purchase back during the Neiman Marcus Beauty Event.  You had to spend so much in Deborah Lippmann and you got Purple Rain for free.  It ended up being like a buy 2 get 1 free type of thing, but you couldn't pick the "free".  I'd been wanting a few more Lippmann's, so I thought it was an excellent time to expand my stash.

Purple Rain is a very frosty metallic lilac shade created in 2009 for a Zac Posen runway show.  The swatch above is 3 coats and even though it appears to have dried with a ton of brushstrokes it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be while I was painting.  It's not my fave, but I don't hate it either.  For a polish at this price point I would expect a smoother finish.

Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish retails between $16-$18.  Purple Rain is $16 and is available for purchase at Neiman Marcus and Beauty.com.

***This post contains an affiliate link.  For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Deborah Lippmann ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Nail Polish Swatches and Review

It's happened!  A Deborah Lippmann glitter that I love!!  Most Lippmann glitters I don't like because they don't apply well and I don't like how much I have to maneuver the glitter.  They usually don't coat all that well either.  Across the Universe has beaten the odds! 

 (pinkie - 1 coat, ring - 2 coats, middle - 3 coats, pointer - 4 coats)

Sure, it took 4 coats to be opaque on me.  But Across the Universe would also likely be opaque in 3 thicker coats.  I was applying rather thin in case the glitters were a pain, which they were not!  The mixture of the different sized glitters in blue and green over the navy jelly base is stunning, and made for a festive birthday mani!

Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe retails for $18 and is available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Beauty.com.

Deborah Lippmann BRICK HOUSE Nail Polish Swatches and Review

I haven't been having the best luck lately with Lippmann polishes, I have no idea why, but none of them have been great on me wear wise.  Brick House, however, is changing all of that!

 

I was really impressed with the application and wear of Brick House.  It wasn't as streaky as I anticipated from seeing other swatches and the color is just divine.  It's a burnt orange-red, terracotta brick frosty deal.  Very pretty for Fall!  Though, with the amount of SNOW we have outside, who would even know it's Fall... *le sigh*.  For the swatch photo I used 2 coats of polish, though it was opaque on me in ONE.

Deborah Lippmann Brick House Nail Lacquer retails for $16 and is available at Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom.

***This post contains an affiliate link.  For more information, please view my Disclosure Policy.

Deborah Lippman NAKED Nail Polish Swatches & Review

If you follow me on Twitter you probably saw that I'm going to a fancy shmancy wedding tonight. It's at a country club about 30 minutes away, so I am trying my hardest to hang up my yoga pants and other various "mom gear" and look presentable.

When I go to weddings that are on the fancier side I like to wear a nude nail and a flashy toe (Currently Essie Meet Me At Sunset). For my nail I dug into my untried and came up with Deborah Lippman Naked Nail Polish, Spring 2011.

Naked is that perfect flesh toned, peachy beige shade that makes your nails look absolutely impeccable. I was worried this would be a nude shade that would wash me out, but it turned out glossy and classy. A perfect wedding mani!

I DID have to use 4 coats with this polish, which I wasn't real happy about. More coats = easier to chip and longer to dry. It wasn't laying on my nail evenly, and things like that bug me. I'm ok with a bit of visible nail line, but with 4 coats you won't get it.

Deborah Lippman Nail Lacquer retail ranges from $16 - $20. The glitters tend to be more expensive. Naked is a $16 polish. You can pick these polishes up at places like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.

FYI - Currently Neiman Marcus is doing their beauty event, so if you buy $32 in Deborah Lippman Polishes you get Purple Rain for free! There are a lot of other Beauty Offers, so head on over and check it out! Yes, I took advantage of this and you should too!!!

***This post contains an affiliate link... for more information please read my disclosure policy.

DEBORAH LIPPMANN Presents Beautiful Hues for Fall 2011

WARM UP WITH DEBORAH LIPPMANN’S FALL 2011 SHADES
I have worked directly with some of the world’s top fashion designers on everything from ad campaigns to fashion shows. When I set out to select nail looks for the fall 2011 collections, I noticed a common theme among all of my collaborators: warmth. The clothes featured vivid, lush earth tones—think lush greens, rich reds and intense golds.
I wanted to capture a similar heat and earthiness in the accompanying polishes, but with an added punch. BILLIONAIRE, a moody hunter green, BRICK HOUSE, a shimmering rust, and SINGLE LADIES, a flirtatious red, all have warm undertones, which give them a beautiful intensity, but also have a jewel-like quality so they really make nails pop.

SHADE DESCRIPTIONS
Billionaire: moody hunter green (creme)

Brick House: shimmering rust (shimmer)

Single Ladies: flirtatious red (creme)

XOXO,
Deborah

WHERE TO FIND IT: Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and online at www.deborahlippmann.com for $16 each.

SHOW WORTHY
Deborah Lippmann’s new shade, STORMY WEATHER, is a collaboration with fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez.

Usually Narciso requests a nude nail to complement his minimalist designs, but for fall 2011 around he wanted something bolder—a color with strength and edge to offset both his collection and the softness of the hair and makeup. For the perfect custom finish, I mixed (and mixed) a new shade by hand in just 24 hours. The final product: an edgy granite that emanated power and intensity. The models who walked the show (and who rarely, if ever, comment on the nail color) gushed over the shade. And so STORMY WEATHER was born an edgy granite (crème) for a strong fall statement.

XOXO,
Deborah

WHERE TO FIND IT: Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and online at www.deborahlippmann.com for $16.

Just in time for the holiday season,
Deborah Lippmann Gets the Party started

Nothing says ‘Party’ like the magnetic sparkle of glitter. So for the biggest party season of the year, I’ve created shades that truly dazzle. Get This Party Started, a set of three glitters, was inspired by the overwhelming demand for my best selling Happy Birthday, a glittery party in a bottle. The set includes Happy Birthday, along with two new variations of the sparkling shade: Forget You and Candy Shop. They’re both packed with the same unique hexagon-shaped glitter that gives Happy Birthday its magnificent glint, only Forget You has a sheer black base and Candy Shop a bubblegum pink.

I love how festive all three look and feel, whether wrapped a round a champagne glass or peeping out of a glamorous pump. But what I truly love the most: how a few coats of any shade instantly transform you into the life of the party.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: a party in a bottle (glitter)
FORGET YOU: party all night (glitter)
CANDY SHOP: bubblegum pink (glitter)

XOXO,
Deborah

WHERE TO FIND IT: Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and online at www.deborahlippmann.com for $42 per set.

Deborah Lippmann GLITTER IN THE AIR Nail Polish Swatches & Reivew

Normally I'm a huge fan of Deborah Lippmann's nail polishes... Glitter in the Air was a huge disappointment for me.

I used 3 coats in the swatch photos =\ Sad face isn't for three coats... it's for how crappy it looks even after 3 coats.

I tried to "place" the glitter on the second finger from the right, which gave me a little more than just brushing it on did.

Over Sephora by OPI Leotard Optional. Yuck.

I actually feel bad this is the first Lippmann polish that I've reviewed on here and it's not a glowing one. A lot of hype surrounded Glitter in the Air... how unique it is, how hard it is to find... how it looks so great on top of nude shades. I've actually tried it on top of several nude shades and it's just.. not doing it for me.

It doesn't apply very evenly, and the more coats you do the more oddly it lays. It's SO gorgeous in the bottle... it's a shame that isn't the actual color you get on your nails. Rather than being sheer and milky I'd love the base color to be opaque. The sparkles are just so beyond gorgeous that it makes me really sad that this just doesn't work for me.

There have been mixed blogger reactions - All Lacquered Up will be SHARING hers, making it a non-keeper, while Scrangie adores hers. It was actually Scrangie's post that got my lemming going for this one. All You Desire and the Swatchaholic also enjoy this polish. Unfortunately... you can add me into the "no bueno" side. Glitter in the Air doesn't hold a candle to her other glitters, which are awesome.

Retail on Lippmann polishes range from $16-$20... Glitter in the Air will run you $18. These polishes can be picked up at Nordstrom and beauty.com.

***this post contains an affiliate link... for more information please read my disclosure policy.