Sand & Sea - shades for summer nails

Sand

Opalescent pearls and sparkling tans ... shimmering taupes and beiges and golds ...

Left to right: OPI Pearl of Wisdom, China Glaze Knotty, Paul & Joe #27,OPI DS Classic, Chanel Trapeze

1. Orly: Sand Castle
2. OPI: Cosmo-not Tonight Honey!
3. OPI: DS Classic
4. Paul & Joe: #27
5. Chanel: Trapeze
6. Dior: Timeless Gold
7. Zoya: Jules
8. Estee Lauder: Extravagant Pearl
9. OPI: Pearl of Wisdom
10. Nicole by OPI: Oy Oy Oyster
11. OPI: Up Front & Personal 
12. China Glaze: Knotty
13. Chanel: Lily Beige
14. MAC: Hangin' Loose
15. Zoya: Dulcinea
16. China Glaze: Sunset Sail
17. Zoya: Uli
18. Paul & Joe: #03

Sea

Cerulean blue and nautical navy ... iridescent teal and mermaid green ...

Left to right: Royal Navy, I Know What Boys Like, Blue Iguana, Trophy Wife, Ocean Dip, Mermaid's Tears

1. China Glaze: Bermuda Breakaway 
2. Orly: Royal Navy 
3. Essie: Aruba Blue 
4. Sally Hansen: Pacific Blue 
5. Essie: Smooth Sailing 
6. Essie: Coat Azure 
7. China Glaze: Blue Iguana 
8. Sinful Colors: Nail Junkie 
9. Nubar: Earth 
10. Essie: Trophy Wife 
11. Sally Hansen: Fairy Teal 
12. MAC: Ocean Dip 
13. Essie: Turquoise & Caicos 
14. OPI: Mermaid's Tears 
15. OPI: Stranger Tides 
16. Sally Hansen: Paparazzi 
17. Essie: Absolutely Shore 
18. Lippmann: I Know What Boys Like

Dolce & Gabbana Italian Summertime: The Lipsticks

After a bit of a delay, here are the promised photos and swatches of the lipsticks from Dolce & Gabbana's 2011 summer collection, "Italian Summertime."

  

Perla Shine Lipstick

  First up, Perla: a very pale, cool pink with shimmer. 

Here I am above taking a photo in very bright sunlight with my hands shading my eyes and can't see a thing -- thank goodness for auto-focus ;).

Shown below in indoor lighting (I have no other makeup on so forgive the terrible state of my skin in all of these photos. I should really remember to put on a little foundation next time, oh well!):

Below is Perla alongside some of my MAC lipsticks to give you a better idea of the tone. 

Mandorla Classic Cream Lipstick

Mandorla is a pale, creamy peach-pink nude shade. This one is odd as it looks significantly lighter on lips than in the tube. Because of this I  recommend trying it on before purchasing if you have the opportunity. Because of my sallow skin-tone it's not that flattering on me alone, but might work well with heavier eye makeup looks. I like to mix it with a touch of the coral-red Venere (featured previously here) to make it slightly darker and brighter. Shown above in sunlight and below in indoor lighting. 

Luna Shine Lipstick

Luna is a very pale, frosty champagne shimmer. It seems to provide a little more coverage and shine than Perla (although it is hard to tell by the photo above). If you prefer neutral or warm tones Luna would probably be a good choice. If cool tones flatter you, then Perla would be a better pick. I don't plan to wear this alone, but it will come in handy to lighten and add shimmer to darker colors.  

Above in indoor lighting and below. Wow, in flash lighting this pale shimmer is almost outshined by my pale skin! :)

Below is a mixture of Venere and Luna. I feel a little less corpse-like wearing this! 

Hope this has been helpful if you are considering buying any of these shades. These are not within my usual comfort zone, but I am happy with them overall. If you haven't already, be sure to stop by The Beauty Look Book for the lovely Sabrina's feature on Perla and Mandorla. 

Thank you for visiting! 

Sephora by OPI: Safari Luxe Collection

A new favorite pale, taupey-nude

Dusty camouflage-green creme 

Medium orange with subtle pink shimmer (mini-set exclusive)

Medium metallic violet/purple with very fine teal & pink shimmers

L-R: Once a Cheetah, Always a Cheetah: tangerine with gold shimmer;  Wild About Shimmer: sheer white-gold shimmer, and A Color That Can't Be Tamed: silvery sage-green shimmer







Here is Don't Feed the Hand Models compared to Essie's Topless & Barefoot
-- it's very similar but a bit darker. Love both of these!

More views in different lighting:

with flash

in sunlight

From Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge a few years ago

Zarafa: enjoyed this true story of a 19th-century giraffe's journey from Africa to Paris. 

 Recommended for history buffs and animal lovers. (Nail color is Lancome's Sarong.)

My own indoor "wild" animal, watching birds

She is thinking: "Get that camera outta my face, lady!"