Monday, January 25, 2010

Speckled

Hello ladies,

I am wearing Concrete Jungle today. This grey creme is one of the two new polishes Diamond Cosmetics released as a January promotion. The second of the duo, Starry Night, is black with silver sparkle. I will be showing it later this week as my vampy manicure.

Concrete Jungle led my eyes on a detour from the bottle to the nail. In the bottle, it reminds me of plastic coated computer wires. After two coats, the color darkens slightly and the grey takes on a lavender cast. I prefer the color on the nail. Grey cremes have become a fashion staple in every polish collection. The touch of lavender adds interest to Concrete Jungle.

Since pink and grey together delight me, I created a gradient using Wet n' Wild Sparked. This manicure reminds me of a speckled egg in a songbird's nest.


Concrete Jungle's formula is on the thicker side. It was almost completely opaque in one coat, but I did two for assurance. The application is workable as long as coats are applied thinly. I am pleased with the finished result. At the affordable price point of $2.25, there is little to complain about!

Diamond Cosmetics recently added three new topcoats to their treatment line: Matte Topcoat, Extended Wear, and Nail Shine. Extended Wear is meant to keep polish from fading and ensure a week's worth of wear. Nail Shine is intended to add a high gloss and amplify the sparkle in metallic and shimmer polishes. None of the three are quick dry formulas.

I will be trying these topcoats with the new six shade Diamond Cosmetics Spring Collection. When I receive a release date for the Spring line, I will certainly share the information with you. Concrete Jungle and the three topcoats are currently available at diamondcosmetics.com. These products were sent to me for purpose of review.

Happy painting, ladies!








12 comments:

  1. This is such a gorgeous manicure. Perfect color combination and technique!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful gradient, I wish I was that good at it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh! I Love this mani so much!!!

    I think Diamond Cosmetics Treatments do not get the love they deserve. While I haven't tried any of the topcoats (yet!), I do have DC Super Base, and I love it!

    Looking forward to more DC reviews!

    ReplyDelete
  4. April and Ashley: Thank you so much! I had a great time putting the look together. <3

    Kirsten: Thank you! I will be doing some more gradient manicures in the near future. <3

    gildedangel: Thank you! I find with the glitter gradient it helps to have a layer of topcoat to first seal the base color and then work nail by nail when the glitter is still wet. I put the glitter on the nail, finish the gradient and then paint the glitter on the next nail and repeat.

    I would love try gradient liquid, but Orly Smudge fixer seems to be a decent substitute for me. I brush off the excess on a paper towel and the use the almost dry brush to tap the glitter downwards. The idea is to keep the Smudge Fixer brush damp with product, but not wet. It will be just enough to make the glitter mobile, but not dissolve the polish beneath. I'm not sure what technique you use, but I hope that helps you. :)

    ainos2: Thank you! I am so glad you like the gradient mani. I haven't yet done much exploration with Diamond's treatment products. I am really happy for the opportunity to try them out. I first started using their polish last fall and I love it! You will certainly see more reviews here. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. wanderful mani! great color combination. it's a mani with a sparkle alright! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I find the swatches of this grey so interesting! It's on my list for the next time I place an order with Diamond Cosmetics. I never have been able to resist grey though!
    This is really pretty with the WNW at the tips, it definitely reminds me of a speckled egg!

    ReplyDelete
  7. nihrida: Thanks so much. <3

    Camy: Thank you. I appreciate your kind words. :)

    L: I'm so glad you like the look. Thank you!

    Anonymous: As you know, I love added sparkle. Thanks so much!

    Nicole: Concrete Jungle is a nice addition for a grey lover! I'm sure you will be pleased with it. <3

    ReplyDelete
  8. I just love every manicure you do. Very pretty with the glitter gradient. Your nails look fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lucy: Thank you! You are so dear to me. <3

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for stopping by! I do my best to answer comments. I read every single comment. If you have any questions or links that are unrelated to the post, please e-mail me.

Please be respectful and avoid leaving your blog link in the comments unless requested. Refer to the FAQ if needed.