Oxblood Nail Polish Comparison Swatches

Index finger: NCLA Rodeo Drive Royalty. Middle finger: Vapour Beauty Captive. Ring finger: Orly Smolder. Pinky finger: Dior Smoking Plum.

Ever since I painted my nails with RGB Oxblood, I started noticing the color all over my apartment. More specifically, in many other nail polish bottles in various bags of untrieds all over my living room! So I pulled a few of them out and decided to do a comparison post for all of you.

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Nail Polish Comparison: M.A.C Formidable! and Orly Galaxy Girl

I was going through my nail polish collection this past week, and two stuck out immediately. Why, you might ask? Because they looked absolutely identical in the bottle. I'm talking, of course, about M.A.C Formidable (from 2010's Venomous Villains collection) and Orly Galaxy Girl (from Fall 2010's Cosmic FX collection).

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Glam Pedicure with Erica Marton: Orly Rage with Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat

This past weekend, I treated myself to a pedicure in advance of my upcoming vacation to Grand Cayman. (More on that in upcoming posts when I return!) I simply had to see my gal Erica Marton from Face Place, since she a) does fantastic pedicures, and b) is so much fun to chat with while she works!

When I walked in, I spotted Erica's nails and immediately had to copy her for my toes. She was sporting two coats of Orly Rage (originally from the Foil FX Collection), with one coat of Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat on top.

Erica did the same for me, and I have to say, I'm totally loving the glam gold with bits of sparkle! It's so fun and so different from what I normally wear on my toes -- I'm usually a pink or red girl, so this was a drastic but totally amazing change.

Thanks to Erica for giving me a completely fantastic pedicure pre vacation!

Mani of the Week: Sephora By OPI Don't Go There with Orly Out Of This World

In case you can't tell, I'm really enjoying two-color manicures at the moment! This week I went for two complementary purples that had been sitting in my collection for, well, years. Shameful, I know! I used Sephora By OPI Don't Go There (from 2008's Autumn and Eve Collection), accenting with Orly Out Of This World. Out Of This World is from Orly's famed Cosmic FX Collection.

I love the creamy consistency of the Sephora by OPI color, especially paired with the glittery magic of Orly.

Closeup of Orly Out Of This World

What's on your nails this week? Let me know in the comments!

Mani for My Indiana Weekend: Orly Cosmic FX Space Cadet

You know those nail polishes that are different in every light? Well, Orly Space Cadet -- one of the polishes from Fall 2010's Cosmic FX Collection -- is exactly like that. Sometimes it's purple, sometimes it's blue, sometimes it's green ... and it always, ALWAYS packs a bunch of shimmer and sparkle.

I decided to sport this mani for my trip to Indiana this weekend -- I'm heading back to Bloomington for a little trip down memory lane with a few of my nearest and dearest friends. I'm absolutely in love with this color -- I love the shimmer, I love the smoothness with which it applies, I love the ever-changing hues! Totally a win.

Another pic of Space Cadet, this time without flash

What's on your nails for the weekend ahead? Let me know in the comments!

Wallet-Friendly Wednesdays: Orly It's Up To Blue Nail Lacquer

I don't know about you, but I am totally digging turquoise nail polish right now. It's just such a hot shade for summer -- it adds a bold touch to any look, and I think it gets more compliments and stares than any other polish I've tried recently!

My fave is definitely Orly Nail Lacquer in It's Up To Blue. This shade is seriously so vibrant and shimmery, I can't help but stare at my toes with bliss and glee. I love the bottle, which has a rubber top that's super-easy to grip -- meaning it cuts way down on messy application. The formula glides on easily without any goopiness. With only two coats, the color is slick and just thick enough to last for weeks without chipping. And while using a topcoat is definitely the way to go, the color is so shimmery and shiny even before you put it on that your nails will literally glisten afterwards!

This polish is seriously cheap -- think under $6! It's available on a variety of websites, including:

$4.95 on OrlyDiva.com
$3.19 on head2toebeauty.com
$3.50 on orlybeauty.com (This is for the mini version!)

So don't feel blue ... It's Up To Blue is here to save the day! And if you're curious to see the finished product, here's a pic of my recently polished toes!

Don't forget to update your bookmarks to http://www.thebeautyoflifeblog.com!

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice: Orly Sugar Coated Collection

March may seem far away -- but it's sure to be an exciting month with the launch of Orly's Sugar Coated Collection. Already one of my favorite nail polish brands for its rich, long-lasting color (the last time I had a manicure with Orly polish it literally lasted for two weeks without chipping!), I'm always impressed with the new collections that are added to the staple of 150+ stellar hues. And Sugar Coated, which takes its cue from delicious confections like pastries and sugar-frosted candy, promises to be no different.

Six gorgeous shades will be included in the collection:

Taffy (shimmery baby pink)
Bon Bon (sparkle-tinged lavender)
Petit Four (lustrous matte orchid)
Rock Candy (the lightest lilac with a touch of turquoise glimmer)
Cupcake (understated pale pink)
Meringue (gold-flecked white)

My personal favorite is Petit Four, which even with only one coat is the perfect shade of creamy purple. And even more exciting, this collection will also be the first to showcase Orly's new packaging, with a silver bottle screening and silver Gripper Cap.

The polishes will be available starting in March on Orly's website for only $7 each. Dessert without the calories? This beauty chick can't wait to swallow them up.

Knights in Navy Satin: The Best Navy Nail Polishes

The latest craze in the nail polish world is really rockin' the boat. Forget reds and pinks, this winter you've simply got to have navy blue nails. All the top nail polish brands are coming out with super-hot shades that this beauty chick is just dying to try! Here are my top picks!

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Single and Fabulous!: Orly Divorcee 6-Pix

Who needs men? We've all thought that at one point or another -- even if we're in a perfectly committed relationship and are blissfully happy! So the Divorcee 6-Pix nail polish pack by Orly is absolutely perfect for those days when we would just rather kick back with our girlfriends, a bottle of wine and some really great red nail polish. And while this collection includes three gorgeous red shades, there are also two pale pinks and one creamy white! Choose from aptly named 50/50, Pawn the Ring, It's Not Me It's You, One Night Stand, See Yah and Take Him To The Cleaners. The entire set is only $42 on Orly's website. So gather up your single -- or your attached --girlfriends and paint the town red!