Rescue Beauty Lounge - IKB:2012 - $20 at rescuebeauty.com
I was so excited about this release because the blue known as International Klein Blue is my favorite color. Since it's such a rare and distinctive color, I decided to splurge. I only have three or four RBL polishes and like with Chanel, I only buy the ones I find to be unique enough to add to my inventory. I was a little sad about this one.
First off, the color lacks the gorgeous glow of IKB, it's positively dull. Secondly, it's a lot more purple than IKB. I can understand it's hard to make a polish that exact color, as it's so complex, but the promotional bottle pics all made it look exactly IKB. My photo makes it seem a little brighter than it was in person due to the flash. Regardless, it's still a very pretty color and I'd have been willing to forgive it for it's very un-IKB-ness except that applying this polish is like trying to spread craft paste on with a popsicle stick in a room with a high-velocity fan blowing directly at you. I've used literally a couple thousand different polishes in my life and I was just horrified by this. I love my other RBL polishes, but this one is a stinker. I saw at least one pre-release review that shouted that this polish was "self-leveling" and although I've met precious few polishes that DO NOT self-level, I'll be damned if this one DID NOT for me. The finish is plasticky, and the polish that inevitably dries around the neck of the bottle turned into a flaky, cheap plastic-like mess.
I hate to give such a negative review, especially for a product by a brand that I admire so much, but I intensely disliked this polish and want to put this out there for anyone debating what to do with that $27.50 ($20 plus $7.50 in shipping) burning a hole in their pocket. I heard that the early ones that shipped to people for reviews had the same sort of symptoms that I'm experiencing, but that they would be addressed, but unless I got one of the original formula, the issues were not addressed, so caveat emptor my friends.
R3 Daily is teaming up with Rescue Beauty Lounge creator Ji Baek to give away two sets of the brand-spankin'-new Surf Collection. There are three shades: 360; a dusty blue, Diddy Mow; a sunwashed green, and Bangin'; a hot surfer chick red! You can read more details here on her site. She has some great posts so if you're not already following her, do! Then just tweet and post about the giveaway and you're entered. I'm going to enter, actually, and this is my post about it, but to be honest, it's such a cool giveaway, even if you've already got the collection, it deserves a shout out!
She's also got an interview with Ji herself!
Sally Hansen Insta-Dry - about $5 in most drugstores
While I was picking up Sea Breeze I finally caved and snagged Going Grape as well. The vibrant midtone purple and the blue shimmer are gorgeous, but this polish was a tad thinner than I expected it to be. Above is three coats, and while you can't see it very much in the picture, I've still got some visible-nail-line action going on. I started to wonder just what the heck was up because all of the Insta Dry polishes I'd tried to this point were beautifully pigmented. Perhaps it's just a character flaw of the beautiful shimmer and flash. The world may never know. Moving on... I really still like the polish a lot though I don't see myself pulling it out often. It's too much of a PITA to wear alone and I only layer if the effect is something fabulous and unique, not what the polish should have been on it's own anyway. I want to find an opaque version of this... And no, Rescue Beauty Lounge Scrangie isn't that polish. Below you'll see a few more pics of Going Grape; I tried to capture the violet flash so check it out. You'll also see some comp pics with RBL Scrangie.
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It's been forever since I've done a polka dot manicure, and after my daughter requested one as her manicure, I really was in the mood to do one. They're so cute, and simple, and the color combinations are endless. Here I've used Rescue Beauty Lounge Teal for the base shade and Illamasqua Muse for the dots. I also used a dotting tool that I ordered from www.8ty8beauty.com.
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rescuebeauty.com
For five hours only, Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polishes will be 50% (making them $9 each) off starting at Noon EST today and continuing for 5 hours until 5pm. Use code VIP 5 HOUR at checkout.
