The Prince and the Polish

We sure have heard a lot about the Royal Wedding tomorrow! Coverage on the East Coast starts at 4AM on NBC, will you be watching? While it's about time wedding coverage and programming comes to an end, I for one will be excited to see the dress that Kate chooses for her big day :)

For those of you dreaming to be a princess, there is another British prince still available - Prince William's younger brother, Prince Harry! For the past two summers, Prince Harry has played polo on Governor's Island* in the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, which was where my boyfriend took these amazing pictures. Prince William lead Team Sentebale and Team Black Watch was lead by Ralph Lauren model Nacho Figueras *swoon* . The Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic will again return to Governor's Island this summer on June 5th!

Onto the polish! Color Club Do You Believe in Amour? would be a fitting choice for a royal wedding or for a hopeful princess to be ;) This soft pink is a sophisticated and opaque pastel without looking stark or chalky.

*Governor's Island is one of NYC's surreal and odd islands only minutes from the downtown Manhattan via ferry. This deserves an entire dedicated post, of course!

See more incredible pictures my boyfriend took at the 2009 polo match after the break:

Gotham Polish's First Awards

Recently, I was elated to have reached the new blogger's landmark of 100 followers. Shortly after, I was recognized with the Stylish Blogger and Versatile Blogger Awards! I'm so touched to be thought of in this big and supportive blogging community :)

I was given the Stylish Blogger Award by Cindy from Nail'd & Polish'd. Cindy shares nail polish reviews and creates beautiful designs that you need to see!

I would like to pass this award onto these stylish bloggers:
Beau-Liscious - you need to see her chocolate mani right now.
Fierce Nerditude - Vijii is a New York City based style and beauty blogger
It's Because I Think Too Much - Adiel shares her chic outfits, jewelry, and nails
Neglelakkmani - check out her blog for beautiful pics and product reviews
Rikki Nails - a fabulous blogger with lots of holo :)
Sonnela - Sonnela has lovely long nails and fun nail art
Spaz & Squee - Cilucia is one of my favorite swatchers! I want to buy everything she swatches :)
Spooky Nails - another blogger that shares pictures of colors to lust for
(Squoval)icious! - a wonderful nail polish blogger from Singapore
Une Ruxi à Paris - a French blogger who has already reviewed OPI Touring America!
Yesterday's Nail - shares great color combos and designs

I was given the Versatile Blogger Award by Vijii from Fierce Nerditude. Vijii reviews beauty products and shares great makeup looks that you should totally check out!

I would like to pass this award onto these versatile bloggers:
Biba's Beauty Corner - Biba shares both makeup looks and polish reviews
Kitschy Suburbia - Meg brings us yummy recipes and pretty nail polish
Lacquer Ware for Tips and Toes - for swatches, product reviews, and kittehs
loodie loodie loodie - Anna keeps you informed and educated about nail polish ingredients and treatments, and writes witty polish reviews
Nail'd & Polish'd - Cindy shares lovely reviews and great nail polish designs
Nailside - I adore her pictures and her awesome layering designs
Never Unpolished - check out Zara's great lava crackle mani!
Ooo, Shinies! - a collection of swatches and great designs
The Phalanges Files - Where else can you find exotic animals with nail polishes :)

Now, for seven random facts:

1. Hopefully, I will soon be adding a French bulldog to my life

2. While my DVD collection isn't giant, I own seasons 1-7 of the X-Files. Because really, seasons 8 and 9 were not that great.

3. My best memories from college came from being in marching band and going to football games

4. Super Mario Galaxy is my favorite game for the Wii
5. I love to make chili
6. 80s pop music makes me smile
7. One of my favorite places to eat in NYC is the Shake Shack

So go ahead - thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award, share 7 things about yourself, award 15 recently discovered great bloggers, and contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

Thank you Cindy and Vijii for thinking of me! And thank you to all for being a part of Gotham Polish :)

China Glaze Wagon Trail Walks the High Line

Sure, you know about Central Park, Bryant Park, and Washington Square Park (you know, the one with the arch?), but you may not have heard much about the High Line park yet.

The High Line on the west side of Manhattan opened as a public park in June of 2009. But the High Line actually dates back to 1930, when it was used as an elevated track for transporting freight to factories. The High Line runs from Gansevoort Street all the way to 34th Street, a distance of around 1.5 miles. Right now the park is open from Gansevoort to 20th street, and development is still continuing.

China Glaze Wagon Trail is a gorgeous dark olive with a glowing golden shimmer. Recently I acquired Wagon Trail from 8ty8 Beauty, and WOW is this a stunning color. I've seen Wagon Trail on many favorite nail polishes lists around the internet, and it's safe to say this is a color that lives up to the hype :)

Read more about the High Line park here.

PS - in case you need another reason to visit the High Line: the Rescue Beauty Lounge is oh so close to visit after!!!

Do You Lilac my Easter Bonnet?

At the Easter Parade in New York City, you are sure to see all kinds of Easter outfits strolling on 5th Avenue - from the most fancy and refined to the most flashy and ridiculous! Yesterday was a beautiful day in NYC, and I simply had to see the parade before making Easter dinner... was I ever glad I went.

The origins of the parade date back to the 1880s, when church attendees would stroll up and down 5th Ave wearing their Sunday best. People would come out to see what the upper class were wearing! Today, the Easter Parade is a mix of glamor, absurdity, and just plain fun.

OPI Do You Lilac It? is a perfectly springy pastel purple shade. It applies beautifully in two coats and wears well without chipping. I love that OPI mimicked the shade of a real lilac flower by adding a touch of blue to this creamy hue.

I hope you had a lovely Easter if you celebrate!

See some more pictures we took at the Parade after the break.

Shower Together for Earth Day

China Glaze "Shower Together" showers in the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park

Since moving to New York City, I can say with certain that my life is more "green" than before I moved to NYC!

• I am able to use public transportation and walk to work every day
• Generally, I am limited to bringing home only as much as I can carry - this curbs buying more food than I can eat, therefore reducing food that goes bad!
• I ride my bike more
• Having a small apartment = lower heating and cooling costs
• My building has recycling bins so it's easy to separate the paper and plastic

Of course, lifestyles vary person to person - I've just noticed these things about my habits that have changed for the better and are also good for the environment :)

This Earth Day, my pick is China Glaze Shower Together. This complex blue-green cream shade is deep and edgy.

Have a happy holiday weekend, everyone!

Essie Absolutely Shore Washes A-Shore

Soon enough, the Fire Island beaches will be the hottest weekend get-aways for Manhattanites. Jones Beach, Robert Moses, Cherry Grove, and the Pines are some top destinations and are under two hours away from NYC - I'm happy to trade the cement and sidewalks for sand and sun! If you visit Fire Island before Memorial Day and after Labor Day, sometimes there are so few people that it's almost as if you have the ocean all to yourself :)

Essie's new pastel Absolutely Shore is a pale green that resembles polished beach glass. I was amazed that the formula was opaque and not too thick at the same time. Absolutely Shore reminds me of peacefully walking on a deserted beach and finding lovely shells and driftwood.

I know spring is just getting started, but it's nice to think about warm summer days, sand, and flip flops! Absolutely Shore is part of the Essie Summer 2011 collection, Brazilliant.

Charged Up Cherry Trees

When the cherry trees are blooming, it's confirmed that the winter is behind us. Although it has been an overcast and dark few weeks in New York City, last Sunday the sun was bright and shining. I took a stroll through Central Park and was shocked how much had changed since a few weeks ago!

Charged Up Cherry by OPI is a hot coral pink cream color. This was one of the first OPI polishes I bought several years ago. I love that this color is right in between orange and pink.

You know what would really charge this up? Let's add some Inglot 202 flaky wonderful-ness, and Sinful Colors Opal Glitter!

Do you have a favorite polish you reach for to charge your manicure up?

PS I am now uploading pictures from Flickr, because of this post from Rainy Days and Lattes! Can you tell the difference in image quality? I think I may re-upload my older photos!

Mattese Elite Polishes are Fit for a Swan Queen

New York City's own Ricky's has a house brand of makeup called Mattese Elite. Mattese Elite products include eyeshadows, eyeliner, bronzer, lipstick, and nail polish! Mattese Elite's spring nail polish collection is ballet themed. While Sephora released a ballet themed collection this year as well, the Mattese Elite color palette was different and I think more interesting. The "Ballet Colors of Me" collection consists of (from left to right above) Pink Tutu, Pointe Shoes, Developpe, Attitude, Arabesque, and Releve.

Attitude is the murky blue that was the most unique to my eye and to my collection. Sadly, it was a watery mess to apply. Pictured below, I'm wearing probably about (4) thick coats. Even though it's a gorgeous color, the formula of this one will have me hesitating to grab it again soon. I have other Mattese Elite nail polishes that apply beautifully like this one, so I wouldn't say this is a common feature of their nail polishes.

Nail polish blogger Toes that Twinkle reviewed the entire collection and I encourage you to check out her reviews!

Mattese Elite nail polishes retail for $5.99, but every so often you will find random colors marked down to $0.99 in stores. You can buy Mattese Elite at any Ricky's location, or online: http://www.matteseelite.com/


PS - Check out these amazing aerial pictures of NYC on Gothamist!

Ricky's NYC has a Wall of Nail Polish

Ricky's NYC is one of my favorite nail polish sources in New York City. Perhaps it's because I love to arrange things in color order, but I just love admiring the wall of nail polishes filled with Essie, OPI, Orly, Butter London, and house brand Mattese Elite. I would say Ricky's has the biggest variety and selection of OPI in New York City, from older colors to the latest displays. I was able to find Black Shatter here back when it first was released. The fun doesn't stop at nail polish - you can find various hair products & accessories, skin care, and makeup!

From their website: "An edgy, ultra-hip "beauty shop" specializing in unique fashion accessories, cosmetics, and beauty supplies, Ricky's NYC has been a part of New York's urban chic culture for nearly two decades."

Look out this amazing (low quality picture of the) NAIL POLISH WALL!!! 

There are Ricky's locations all over New York City - best to use the store locator to find the one closest to you (I think I counted 23 locations on the map in NYC). There's also one in NJ and one in Miami! One of my favorite locations is the store at 74th and Second - it's simply huge. I've also found the staff is very helpful as well at this and other locations.

Even if you aren't planning to be in New York City anytime soon, thank goodness for the internet. You can shop and browse at http://www.rickysnyc.com/ any time :)

Team Catherine Rallies at the Rescue Beauty Lounge for Votes

Rescue Beauty's bring it back vote is underway the the race is close! The lovely Catherine actually went to Rescue Beauty Lounge to show support and win some votes.

Catherine is the first Rescue Beauty polish in my collection - and wow, after experiencing this perfect application (and my close proximity to RBL) I will certainly be buying more!!! Can you see the amazing complexities in this color? There is gold shimmer, and little tiny pink and blue flecks!

The bring it back vote ENDS April 17th at 10AM! Make sure you cast your vote!

The Bull and the Teddy Bare

The Charging Bull near Wall Street is a favorite photo-op spot in NYC. This energizing bronze statue symbolizes a strong financial market - a "bull market" is the term used when the market is headed upwards. A "bear market", on the other hand, would be the opposite. The Charging Bull received a fantastic knit sweater for the holidays last year!

What would a Teddy Bear Bare market look like then? It might not be good for the economy, but it looks great on the nails!

Teddy Bare by Milani is a creamy taupe that's almost dusty. I've heard it's a dupe for Chanel Particulaire! Dupe or no dupe, it's a lovely shade I'll be wearing (until it's time to bust out summer neons).

The Charging Bull/Wall Street Bull is located in Bowling Green in lower Manhattan, where Broadway and State street meet.

PS - did you all do your taxes??? :)

Inglot Times Square Flakies: The Swatches

Hidden within the wall of nail polish colors in the Inglot Times Square store are several flakey colors. While the majority of Inglot colors are full size, these special colors are 0.27 fluid ounces, which is basically half the size of a normal polish. Inglot nail polishes are $10.

Here are Inglot flakies 202 and 204 :) I listed the base colors used at the end of this post.

Inglot 202

Inglot 202 fills the hole in my life Hidden Treasure created. The firey orange flakes turn green and yellow as they light up your nails. The brush is great and I only needed one coat.

Inglot 204

Inglot 204

Inglot 204 is a blue-ish purple flakey polish that adds an interesting depth as a top coat. While it doesn't have the flashy or duochrome finish that 202 does, it creates a subtle and interesting glow to polish. I initially thought it would look great over blue, but the flakies seemed to disappear... which is why I felt like trying it over more colors! Adding 204 creates a subtle icy illusion over any color polish.

So what do you think? What's your favorite combo? Are any Inglot polishes on your wish list?

Inglot cosmetics can be purchased at http://www.inglotcosmetics.com/.


Inglot is located in New York City on 1592 Broadway (at 48th St) and in Chelsea Market at 75 9th Ave on the 5th floor (that's between 15th and 16th St).

Inglot 202, base colors from pointer to pinkie (left to right):

Goldie Rumors

OPI Charged up Cherry

OPI Shorts Story

Mattese Elite Pucci-liscious

Inglot 204, blue swatch base colors from pointer to pinkie (left to right):

Color Club Take Me To Your Chateau

Essie Coat Azure

Color Club Chelsea Girl

Color Club Edie/Wild Child

Inglot 204, mixed swatch base colors from pointer to pinkie (left to right):

OPI Step Right Up!

OPI Shorts Story

MAC On the Prowl

Essie Turquoise and Caicos

Field Trip to Inglot Times Square!

In the heart of Times Square is a makeup store that is one of only five stores in the United States - Inglot! I have heard about Inglot cosmetics and nail polish around the web, and have seen some swatches, and knew I simply must see these beauties in person.

I had mentally prepared myself for a trip into Times Square - the crowds, the possibility of what I wanted not being in stock (the usual hurdles one deals with when shopping in NYC)... however, when I went after work last week, it was just me, my (ever-so-patient) boyfriend, two sales associates, and tables and tables of makeup! I was in heaven. No one was elbowing me to see the products or fighting for assistance from the lovely ladies working.

The store is impressive. Makeup all around invites you to take a look up close and test it out, like a giant toy box :)

The eyeshadow table is huge - and so is the size of the eyeshadows!

My goal was the nail polish. And wow, was there nail polish. Inglot captures colors across the spectrum ranging from deep browns, pastel blues and greens, and vivid reds and pinks.

Inglot is a progressive company that created "the world's first ever Breathable Nail Enamel ensuring better health care for nails whilst enhancing their beauty" (this is the O2M line). How cool is that? The O2M polishes are $14 and the regular polishes are $10. The flaky polishes you may have read about are $10 as well, however they are smaller in size.

I picked up two of the flaky colors - Inglot 202 and 204. I have several swatches I will share with you tomorrow!

Inglot is located in New York City on 1592 Broadway (at 48th St) and in Chelsea Market at 75 9th Ave on the 5th floor (that's between 15th and 16th St). You can shop online as well.

I'd love to hear if you've tried Inglot products!

Fun with OPI Femme de Cirque

Not too long ago, I won Body & Soul's monthly contest and shortly after received the prize - OPI's Femme de Cirque collection! I could not be more excited :) This collection is made up of four soft colors - "So Many Clowns, So Little Time", "In the Spot-Light Pink", "I Juggle... Men", and "Step Right Up!".

The four colors in this collection are sheer and feminine - pictured here are all four colors for comparison. I used the milky-white Orly Ridgefiller as base coat which allowed the colors show up a little better without needing more than three coats.

From index to ring/left to right are "So Many Clowns, So Little Time", "Step Right Up!" 

"In the Spot-Light Pink", and "I Juggle... Men".

"I Juggle... Men" is a lovely pink and blue shimmer top coat that looks great over each color in this collection. Here is two coats of "I Juggle... Men" layered over each color.

From index to ring/left to right are "So Many Clowns, So Little Time", "Step Right Up!" 

"In the Spot-Light Pink", and "I Juggle... Men".

I thought that "Step Right Up!" and "So Many Clowns, So Little Time" were similar. Here I am wearing "Step Right Up!" on my index and ring fingers and "So Many Clowns" on my middle and pinky fingers. "Step Right Up!" is pinker and "So Many Clowns" is beige-er. But they are VERY close!

"In the Spot-Light Pink" is a clear, jelly pink. I wore three coats here over Orly Bonder (a clear base coat) and it gives my nails a healthy pink finish and pretty shine.

It's nice to have some soft, natural looking colors in my collection to rotate between days of wearing bright and bold colors. Do you have any favorite feminine or natural shades in your collection?

Thank you again to Mary from Body & Soul for this lovely collection!

Handwriting Tag and Twitter

I was tagged by Anna from Loodie Loodie Loodie to do the handwriting questionnaire!

Here are the questions if you would like to play:
1. What is your name/blogger name? 
2. What is your blog's name/URL? 
3. Write,"The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog."
4. What's your favorite type of food? 
5. What are some of your favorite makeup brands? 
6. What are some of your nicknames?
7. What are some pictures you like to doodle?


In other news, I joined Twitter as GothamPolish. Leave a comment if you're on Twitter with your Twitter name and I'll find you!

China Glaze is Coming to Manhattan!!!

Greetings polish lovers,

I know "Where can I find China Glaze in New York City" is a question we all are asking. Just today, I was thrilled to learn that Beauty 35 (see this post) will soon be carrying China Glaze!!! I called the store and confirmed they are expecting a shipment of China Glaze to their store on the corner of 8th Ave and 35th St in Manhattan.

This news simply made my day. I will be sure to update you when I can confirm in person that China Glaze is in stock and on the shelves of Beauty 35.

Until then, try to contain your excitement :)

Best,

Amy

Purple Gleam is Cool on the Streets

One afternoon I was on a walk looking for inspiration while wearing Milani Purple Gleam, you know, one of those new "one coat glitter" polishes. The sun was shining bright and I could NOT stop looking at my nails. Until I walked into a bench, and noticed the glitter on my sneakers is exactly the same color and size glitter!

I love these All Stars. When the tongue is flipped up, they are simple, grey sneakers. But folded down, the glitter pops and suddenly I get compliments on the same grey sneakers that before were unremarkable.

Like the purple glitter All Stars, Purple Gleam can be worn in more than one way.

This dense, purple glitter is a gritty polish that sparkles and adds instant 'bling' without having to wait forever to apply coat after coat of glitter.

Worn with a matte top coat (I used Essie Matte About You), this previously shocking glitter transforms into a perfectly flat and speckled finish.

Adding OPI Black Shatter gives the effect of glitter peaking out behind black polish.

Have you tried adding an unexpected element to your polish routine recently?

CO Bigelow is BIG on Polish!

If I told you there is a 173 year old* pharmacy in the West Village that sells Butter London, Barielle, AND Deborah Lippmann polishes - would you believe me?

Yes, fortunately it's true! C.O. Bigelow is the oldest apothecary in New York City America (you may be familiar with their own line of lotions and lip balms). Visiting their store on 414 6th Ave (between 8th and 9th St) is a real treat - there is a counter of cosmetics like Nars, Jane Iredale, and Lipstick Queen... then there are products by Bliss, Bumble and Bumble, and various oils and fragrances. Oh, and Bigelow is also a real pharmacy :)

I picked up two wonderful colors during my recent trip - Jess' Champagne Toast by Barielle and Nefertiti by Deborah Lippmann. These are the first polishes from each brand I've added to my collection, believe it or not!

Jess' Champagne Toast is a hard color to describe. This chrome lavender flashes silver with pink glitter that really makes this stand out. I love to find unique polish and color combinations I haven't seen before, and this is certainly one of those colors.

The next time you are in the West Village, stop by C.O. Bigelow Pharmacy - I think you are certain to find something new and unique!

PS: I'm saving Nefertiti for a special post - you may be able to guess where she's going to visit!!!

*So that's the year 1838. Martin Van Buren was president of the United States, and Florida and California were not even states yet.

Color Club Wild at Heart Gone Wild

On a lovely spring day, it's great to get outside and walk around Fulton Ferry in Brooklyn. There's so much to enjoy... the Brooklyn Bridge, the boats in the river, the... giant red Hummer?!

Fulton Ferry is a hot spot for wedding pictures - on any given weekend in spring, you are certain to see multiple wedding parties assembled in the picturesque park around the bridge. On this particular day, one wedding party arrived in style!

With a name like Wild at Heart, wearing this Color Club polish almost guarantees a good time. This majestic purple's holographic finish transforms a beautiful polish into an instant party worthy of a red Hummer.

I "visited" this color in the store several times before I finally bought it, mostly because I thought it would be too similar to China Glaze LOL (it's a darker and more vivid purple than LOL, while LOL is more holographic). Did you pick up Wild at Heart? Do you "visit" nail polish before purchasing it, or do you know right away if you want to add a color to your collection?

The Femme de Cirque-us comes to town!

Look what was so happily waiting for me when I came home from work today! I won these beautiful OPI Femme de Cirque polishes in Body and Soul Beauty's monthly contest :) I have an interview on Wednesday for a promotion and I will absolutely be wearing one of these shades for good luck.

Do you have a color you like to wear for important interviews or meetings?