NOTD - Surreal Monet Layering

An awesome layering combo will be shown today. What was initially a quick pick of two polishes for a fast mani turned into something divine and unexpected. The colors were soft and reminded me of Monet's Water Lilly painting (my favorite painting). I got a lot of compliments on this mani and also comments on its similarity to an OPI polish. Let's hop to it!

(Picture heavy to show all angles and the crazy duochrome of this combo!)

Mani Composition:
Base - China Glaze Queen B (one coat)
Topper - Orly Angel Rain (one coat)
Seche Vite top coat (one coat)

The duochrome of this mani is incredible! Mostly it shines purple but the green is strong at certain angles. Brush strokes were not noticeable as long as application of Angel Rain is even with a light touch. Having a dark blurple like Queen B really gave this mani it's personality making it dark and blurple. Angel Rain doesn't really lighten the shade of Queen B, instead AR adds duochrome to the dark blurple.

I was getting comments that this layering combo looks similar to OPI Peace, Love & OPI. I, also, thought the same thing while wearing the mani, so here's a quick breakdown in words:

OPI is a duochrome also of purple and green. However, OPI shine mainly a different shade of green (nicer green in my opinion) and flashes purple at certain angles. Also, OPI has a charcoal/pewter base colour as oppose to blurple. All in all, the two mani's are very different.

I looooved this mani! If you guys have these polishes, you must give this layering combo a try, you won't be disappointed.

Do you like to layer duochromes on creams or wear them on their own?

Swatch - OPI Solitaire

Today, I will be reviewing a liquid sand from the OPI Bond Girls liquid sand collection that came out in May last year. I am having a dilemma with whether or not to get the final polish from the collection: Honey Ryder. Many reviewers seem to really like it, but I'm not sure if it's sparkly enough... only time will tell (because seven months of time hasn't been enough :P). Few months ago I made a tutorial on how to convert any of your regular polishes into a liquid sand/textured manicure using OPI Solitaire. Click here to check out that tutorial!

OPI Solitaire:
A pearl white with silver glitter. This liquid sand twinkles in the sun, and is not as sparkle-tastic as some of the Mariah Carey liquid sands. It's a nice soft white that doesn't look chalky or like white-out.

Shown below is a comparison of what the polish looks like with a few coats of top coat to create a glossy surface. Personally, I prefer Solitaire without the top coat because with it the texture is emphasized instead of the sparkle (which is the case for some textured polishes).

Index and ring have top coat, whereas middle and pinky do not.

Specifications:
Formula - Great, easy application
Pigmentation - Great, slightly sheer on first coat and second coat gives full coverage (no VNL)
Dry time - Faster than other liquid sands I have tried, but not fast drying by any means
Shine - none, textured and matte finish that is supposed to be worn without top coat
Wear - Good, did not chip after 2 days of wear
Removal - Same as other liquid sands

After wearing this polish for a couple of days, I must say I am growing quite fond of it. I think this is a good palette cleanser making it a great alternative if you do not feel like wearing a nude.

What are your thoughts on OPI Solitaire or liquid sands in general? Do you own any polishes from the Bond Girls collection?