WANTED: Ciaté — Very Colourfoil Manicure™

It started out innocent enough. I was on Sephora.com just doing a little casual browsing... when I saw them. New nail kits from Ciaté. At $19 each, they're a bit of an investment, but I am going gaga for them. Check. It. Out.

I have never seen this product in real life, nor have I seen someone wearing it, so these kits remain shrouded in sweet, sweet mystery. Here are the details I read:

According to Sephora, these Very Colourfoil Manicure kits are online only. Limited edition. And exclusive to Sephora. I don't know about you but to me, that sounds like a taunt. Or a threat. What's a girl to do?!

Is nail polish tax-deductible??

sobsobsob, Francesca

OPI — Can't Let Go (Liquid Sand)

I'm going to ask the question that's on everyone's mind: What happened to Mariah Carey?

It's kind of like there are two Mariahs. There's the Music Box / Daydream / Butterfly Mariah that loves rich colors like camel and cocoa, mixed with stark blacks and soft grays. A touchable, flirtatious, womanly Mariah. And then there's post-Glitter Mariah that bedazzles everything, prefers to eat reclining on a chaise lounge (am I the only one who saw her Cribs episode?) and dresses mainly in pink.

So I guess it's fitting that the new OPI Mariah Carey Collection reflects her... dual nature. Some of the colors are sophisticated while others are major glitz. The collection is literally divided into "Studio Shades" (metallics and cremes) and "Stage Shades," which are all in the new Liquid Sand formula.

I was really eager to try one of the Liquid Sands. A new formula from OPI is a big deal! I lurve purple, so I chose Can't Let Go*.

I love OPI's new Liquid Sand formula! It reminds me a lot of a velvet manicure, but it's much easier to do and not messy at all. A nice touch is that the sandy texture has a matte look, but the glitter embedded in the shades adds depth and sparkle to keep your nails from looking completely dull.

I'd recommend buying a bottle of Liquid Sand if you like purple or charcoal shades; the turquoise "Get Your Number" and strawberry "The Impossible" are a little much. Can't Let Go (purple) and Stay The Night (charcoal) are versatile enough to integrate into your nail wardrobe.

One more thing to share: I get nervous about daring formulas like Liquid Sand. They're generally declared a hit and explode, like Shatter (and its countless impostors) did, or they're a quickly abandoned experiment and become HTFs. So if you're thinking of investing, don't wait too long.

Anyone thinking of trying a Liquid Sand Shade?

xxo, Francesca

*product provided for honest review

Essie Debuts "Sleek Sticks" Nail Stickers

Well well well, Essie. It was only a matter of time, I guess. You got with the program and came out with some natty magnetic polishes, and now you're upping the ante... with appliqués!

Now you know I've been tough on nail stickers in the past — does the "Sephora by OPI: Chic Prints" Disaster of 2012 ring a bell? And my adoration for Sally Hansen Salon Effects is well-known — Frock Star even made my Top Ten! So if these Sleek Sticks are going to attempt to elbow their way into My Stash, they're gonna have to be good. Real good.

That said, I am very eager to try one of these... Essie Sleek Sticks. The patterns and color palette are so fresh! Essie's taken a much more sophisticated approach with this sweet little dozen than its rivals have. Well, mostly.

"Love to Love You" and "Don't Cheetah Me" are making me yawn. But "Stickers and Stones" and "Over the Moon" are making me gasp. And "Embrace the Lace" could be a very pretty look for Valentine's Day if you don't want to take the expected route of reds & pinks.

Even though I vowed to count my pennies a bit more carefully this year... I think I can justify a little splurge. :) Rumor has it they retail for ~$10. Mark my words, I'll give these a whirl as soon as I can to let you guys know if Sleek Sticks are a must-have... or just a well-packaged dud.

Which of these new Sleek Sticks options are you eyeing?

mynewyearsresolutionsnoooooo, Francesca

Giveaway — The New Black / The Digital Underground by Madeline Poole

It's that time of year! The season where you skulk around the mall finding all the best sweaters and gift sets and trinkets and baubles... and purchase them for someone else to enjoy.

They say 'tis better to give than to receive, I know, I know. And I can only imagine all of the selfless holiday purchases my Polishment pals have been making... That's why I want to send one of you a special Christmas treat!

The New Black collaborated with Los Angeles-based nail artist Madeline Poole. Aren't familiar with Poole? I've included some of her handiwork below; she's one of the best nail painters in Hollywood. Click the pics to explore Madeline Poole's website. Or better yet, follow her on Twitter!

As you can see, Madeline has quite the eye for color and is no stranger to nail art. She designed three sets for the The Digital Underground collection. You can buy them here at Sephora for $24... or enter below for your chance to win "Nile" from yours truly.

Entering for your chance to win is easy — all you need to do is make sure you're a Polishment follower!

The cutoff is 11:59pm Pacific time on Sunday, December 16th. The winner will be randomly selected through Random.org. For this giveaway, only winners with U.S. shipping addresses are eligible. (Sorry for the inconvenience!) For the amateurish legal details, click here.

meowychristmas!!! Francesca

Perfect Match — BaubleBar & Essie Collaboration!

Talk about a match made in heaven! (Or hell, if you're trying to manage your cash flow...) BaubleBar and Essie have teamed up in a genius way.

BaubleBar eyed this collection and thought... Nice shades, Essie. So pretty, so shiny, so jewel-like. Why don't we make a collection using these exact colors? Say whaaa?

With the holidays coming up, what better treat for the nail polish-loving ladies in your life? At $50, it's an affordable indulgence that'll give you a lot of bang for your buck: one full-size polish, one perfectly matching bangle, plus two other BaubleBar bracelets all inside a shiny little bag that's just begging to be repurposed.

iwant! Francesca