NEW Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Beach Brights

This never happens.  At Rite Aid this morning I found a display so new that the only thing I could find about it online was the press release.  I bought three of the TEN new shades and in what for me is record speed, I have swatches for you already.

Since I couldn't find images of the display, here's the one I took.

The shade names L-R are Razz-Berry, Lemon Zest, Blueberry Blast, Pink-Grape Fruit, Berry Juicy, Ice Pop, Kiwi Bikini, Peach Beach, Pinch Of Punch, and Perfect Pear-ing.  Finish-wise there's a little something for everyone, a mix of creams and shimmers, plus two sheer toppers.  Anyone who knows me can guess which three I got.


Ice Pop is a clear topper with a mix of small gold and iridescent glitter backed up by tiny silvery microfleck shimmer.

over Jungle Gem

Sally Hansen has made so many toppers with slight twists and variations.  I will buy pretty much all of them.  Ice Pop is like a clear-based sister of Teal-y Cool.  It has the same iridescent glitter, but also has gold glitter and the shimmer is icy instead of gold.  The clear base also makes it more versatile for layering.  I'm completely smitten, but then I love layering options.  This is one coat of Ice Pop over Jungle Gem from the Complete Salon Manicure core line.  I also mattified it because I'm me.

over Jungle Gem, mattified

Pink-Grape Fruit has a lilac-tinted base filled with dense gold-to-fuchsia fleck shimmer.

over Resurrection

There are strong resemblances here too, not just within the Sally Hansen family.  Pink-Grape Fruit (yes, really) reminds me of Orly High On Hope with the base color drained most of the way out.  The base isn't a jelly, it's only tinted.  It's also like an amplified version of Aisle Be There from the Diamond Strength core line.  This is two coats over Resurrection, one of the LE Designer Collection shades (which will get a review on here soon).  One coat is a bit subtle for my tastes.

over Resurrection

The impressive thing here?  Both photos of this combo are without any top coat.  So shiny!  I mattified this too, of course.

over Resurrection, mattified

It really pops amazingly in the right light.  I love this combo so much!

over Resurrection, mattified

See what I mean about it being like High On Hope?  I'm getting the layerer's impulse to put this over everything.  Love it so much!  One more...

over Resurrection, mattified

Kiwi Bikini is a blue-green cream.

COMPLETELY color-inaccurate

Not even kinda.  Miles from the actual color.  I knew this was gonna happen.  I swatched a very similar shade, Maybelline Urban Utopia (another "coming soon") last week and had all of the same issues.  My camera just fails utterly.  I think there's something about the pigment that's weird.  Both bleed green a bit when you apply top coat and both totally bewilder my camera.  This photo makes it look teal.  It's not.  It's considerably greener and brighter than any photo I could manage.  This next photo is closer, but still not right.  Makes me look a weird(er) color too.

color-inaccurate, but close-ish

Now on the the other problem.  These photos are one thick coat, because that's how it was applying.  It bubbled.  Badly.  It's probably fixable with thinner or very cautious application, but I didn't try either.  It's a very cool shade, but between the application and photographic issues I was cursing its name a little.


Bottom Line: I'll give my vote to most layering polishes, but Ice Pop and Pink-Grape Fruit are so smooth, even, and shine like crazy even before top coat.  If you're a layering freak like me, I think you need them!  Kiwi Bikini is a great color (but not the one you see here...*sigh*), but it's thick and I had trouble with bubbling.  If you like any of these shades, grab them when you see them because there are only two of each per display.


Friday's BIG post was going to be yesterday...and then it was going to be today.  It WILL be tomorrow (probably) and it will have lots of holo rainbows.