Enthusiastic, Not Obsessed

CND interuption.

2010-05-14T12:16:00.002-04:00

I wanted to test out the Sugar Sparkle Effect from CND, so I put it on top of China Glaze's Sun Worshiper, from my last post.

It basically is a top coat with different sized flecks of silver. It dried quickly, but it's not my favorite effect. Maybe I'll like it better on darker colors. I'll have to try that out.

China Glaze Pool Side 2010 Collection! Part Dos!

2010-05-13T12:37:00.002-04:00

I've been slow to update lately. Whoops. Anyway, this one is awesome. It's called Sun Worshiper, and is also a part of the Pool Side 2010 collection by China Glaze.

Awesome color, love it. A very unique "cool" orange and bright as hell. But this was honestly like, 4-5 coats worth of polish. I do have a french manicure beneath, so covering up the line between the pink and white is difficult but still. It required at least 3 just to be opaque, and 4 for good measure! I blame that on it being a thin neon. It happens!

China Glaze Pool Side 2010 Collection!

2010-05-09T14:50:00.003-04:00

K, so I'm getting around to swatching these. The first one I have from the China Glaze Pool Side 2010 collection is Flip Flop Fantasy.

It was VERY hard to capture on camera, simply because it's a neon. And neons never agree with cameras...even my lovable Canon Rebel. Anyway, it's a very neon pink, unlike any other pink I have in my collection thus far. Right now I have it on my toes as well and it's just so summery!

What I've noticed about these neons from Pool Side overall, is that they are most definitely on the "cooler" side as far as tone goes. I am a bigger fan of warmer tones in general, but these are pretty darn shocking. They are sure to grab attention this summer!

I love this one.

2010-05-06T11:54:00.002-04:00

This is the color I saw on a friend one day and just had to go and order. This is Black Cherry Chutney by OPI.

Here's the thing though! In the sun, which we don't have much of today, the shimmer is amazing! In artificial light, it's a pretty flat color. But in the sun, the reddish shimmer sparkles. It's basically a red-based brown, with a red shimmer that shows up in the sun. Inside, it's easy to mistake it for a dark brown or black, though. I love colors that change it up, depending on the lighting. =D Oh, and great formula...made for an easy application!

French Tips/Pink and Whites

2010-05-03T12:05:00.002-04:00

It's been a while but now that the semester is over, I might have more time to do nail stuff. And I say "might" because I feel like I've been busier (with an actual life?) since the semester ended. Ah!

I did use some spare time to go get my nails done though. Instead of normal acrylics though, I opted for a french tip (also known as "pink and white"). And here, my friends, is the difference between a $20 job and a...much more expensive job. Also, between a 30-45 minute minute job, and 2 hours.

My deal is that I wanted to be able to take my polish off and give it a rest without having an ugly mess underneath. I decided to go ahead and spend the extra money to go to a woman who I know is thorough and careful with nails. While some places make the white with polish, these are two different acrylics. Also, it's topped with a buffing cream that makes it shiny...no drying time, so yay! All in all, it took time, but looks good...and nothing will come off if I cover it with polish and remove it.

That said, I've had these for a few days and am itching to put polish back on. I think I will, but it's nice to know that I can take it off and still have nails that can look fine on their own.

Oh, also...found this weird. She told me that I need to use acetone remover to take off polish with these nails. She said that non-acetone would ruin them, because of the types of products she uses for my nails, actually. Haven't figured out that one yet, but I smiled and nodded.

Konad again!

2010-04-28T14:11:00.002-04:00

I got bored waiting for my order to arrive (ummm creepy the doorbell just rang as I was typing this. My order is here...) so I did some Konad on OPI's Sapphire in the Snow.

I had the Sapphire in the Snow on for days at this point, so what you see there is about 3-4 days of wear.

As I left my last day of student teaching, my kids stood up and read letters they had written for me. One student stood up and said, "We love you and will miss you and won't ever forget you. Or your nails."

And that, my friends, is how I emotionally impact my students.

I see the light at the end of the tunnel...

2010-04-26T15:35:00.002-04:00

I recently celebrated the big 2-1...and of course along with that, came birthday money. Where there is birthday money, there is nail polish orders. Obviously.

I put in an order for the following the other day:

CG-Flip Flop Fantasy
CG-Yellow Polka Dot
CG-Sun Worshiper
OPI-Black Cherry Chutney
CND-Sugar Sparkle
OPI-Royal Rajah Ruby
OPI-Here Today…Aragon Tomorrow

The three China Glaze ones are from their Poolside 2010 collection, the CND Sugar Sparkle is an effect that I'm excited to try out and the OPI ones are oldies but goodies. The Cherry Chutney one I am superrrrr happy to get. I saw it on a co-worker of mine a couple weeks ago and learned that she's a fanatic too...she instantly gave me the brand and name and I remembered just in time that I wanted to grab up that one as well!

I know I've been lacking on the swatching lately, but I'll be back to doing just that soon. And by soon, I mean anytime after tomorrow since I'll officially be off from school until the end of August. SO EXCITING!!!!

Happy Summer, y'all!

Polka Dots!

2010-04-22T16:05:00.003-04:00

I did this one for my kids. Both my second graders and pre-k babes are obsessed with my nails. (I should direct them here, huh?) One of them asked if I could do polka dots, and so I did. They loved it, and that's what counts! =)

The base is White Out by China Glaze. The other colors I used are:

Twiggie by Color Club
Grape Pop by China Glaze
Robyn by Zoya

It's something different and fun, but more importantly, it made my kids happy! LOL

It's been a minute...

2010-04-18T16:45:00.003-04:00

So last week was crazy. This week will be a little bit less crazy, but I'll have more time to post stuff once this semester ends! Can't wait for the end of classes. Ah!

Ok so I'm not sure if I've posted this combo before. I may have but I don't remember, so you shouldn't either.

Was running out of new and interesting choices, so I reverted back to ORLY's Enchanted Forest. It's a deep green, very uh...foresty.

While I like the green, I wasn't a fan of it on my nails this time around and decided it needed some sparkle. So I turned to my trusty CND Effects collection and chose Emerald Shimmer. Much better.

When all else fails, an effect should do the trick, if only to keep you entertained and happy for a little while!

I want one of these.

2010-04-10T19:41:00.002-04:00

Got then nail done, went with pink. OPI Strawberry Margarita to be exact. And it made me want to have one myself, to be perfectly honest. Just a few more days and I can do just that =D

It's a bright pink with purple undertones, which I didn't see in the bottle! But apparently I really like this color because my nails match the paint I colored my bathrooms walls with when I was 18. It's a blinding bathroom.

Getting my nails done tomorrow!

2010-04-10T00:41:00.001-04:00

I think I'm going to get my nails done again tomorrow. It's been a few weeks.

What color/shade should I go for? Hm.

Back to Konad!

2010-04-04T20:27:00.003-04:00

Haven't done this in a little while. I love Zoya's perfectly awesome Maura too much to take it off yet, so of course, I just add to it.

I used a design on plate m64 by Konad, and used White Out by China Glaze as the design color. I actually like this design better than some past one...not sure why. It's a bit less out there than the other designs, maybe.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday week/weekend! =)

I love this red.

2010-04-02T18:47:00.004-04:00

I am in love with this color. My favorite red, up until this point, was China Glaze's Revolution, but this one takes the cake.

This is Maura, also from Zoya's Flash Summer 2010 collection. It's a gorgeous red, with undertones of pink and orange, depending on the lighting. It's perfection. Again, difficult to photograph for whatever reason but this seems to capture it the best.

It was a tiny bit streaky for a nail or two, oddly enough, but applied smoothly for the rest of the time. I have this on my nails and toes now! Too pretty.

I love Zoya!

2010-03-31T14:23:00.005-04:00

Oh, Zoya. I heart you. I don't often order you because you're pricey and stuff, but you threw in a free nail polish remover and I was sold.

I ordered only two polishes from them this past time. Apparently I was feeling very patriotic, because I got a blue and a red. Can't wait for the fourth of July with these two. Anyway, this one is from their Zoya Flash Summer 2010 collection.

This one is Robyn, and it's a very deep sky blue. This color is a painnnnn to translate to camera, computer, and then online. It loses its "umph" a far as I'm concerned. It's a really gorgeous blue and although I have several in this family, this is by far my new favorite.

Again, it does not translate well. This is as true as it will get for me but it's so much brighter...much more in the "primary" family as far as that goes. It's not neon, but it definitely makes a statement. A very summery statement!!!

It went on smooth and dried nicely. Can't ask for much more than that. I'll be sharing my red in a few days. Right now it's on my toes, and I don't think I'll be taking pictures of my feet. You're welcome for that.

Blah blah blah.

2010-03-28T12:53:00.003-04:00

Still trying to get over being sick. I feel like half my posts explain that, but...kids. Lots of them. It equals a lot of germs.

Anyway, this is a short post because I have a lot of homework and whatnot. I was playing around with one of my newer KONAD plates, and opted for this design.

Kind of interesting, but problematic because it's so geometric, with very defined and straight lines. Putting that over a curve, such as a nail, I learned equals problems. You can see how the lines are bent and wobbled. Nice in theory, not so much on the nail. Hence why it's only on one nail.

Also, I've been like seriouslyyyyy bored with my nail polish collection. If I had endless supplies of money, I could remedy that asap. Unfortunately, that money tree I planted in my backyard has yet to sprout. I blame the cold winter. Anyway, I do have some new Zoya on the way, but only because I couldn't stand not having something new to play with.

Anyway, as a result, I've been putting on old ones that I haven't used in a while, or at all.

I re-tried Raisin in the Sun by CND. Last time I tried it, it was too watery and messy. This time it was gloopey. Go figure. Nothing a bit of thinner couldn't fix though. Although I think I used too much thinner...you can see how it messed with the application. Got a bit messy. Oh well. I'd care if I had any energy in me.

I applied CND Effect Crimson Sparkle on top, and it turned the brown/black into a purpleish/pinkish/sparkly effect.

I love my effects! <3

Anyway, should have some new Zoya to share later this week...if I ever get a chance. Ahhh!

How did I forget this one?

2010-03-24T15:52:00.006-04:00

I've had this one for a while, had it swatched for weeks, and apparently I never posted it. Go me.

Anyway, out of the small OPI Alice in Wonderland collection, the only one that I truly wanted was Absolutely Alice. And I'm sure you can see why!

My only gripe is that it is helllll to take off. The glitter naturally gets everywhere and it's like you're removing sandpaper with a cotton ball...not an easy task. Also, since it is a glitter, it doesn't take much to chip. I've noticed that polish stays on my acrylics for indefinite periods of time but on the natural nail, not so much. Since most people out there do go for the natural look, I'd just caution you on this one.

Also, kind of late for St. Patrick's Day, but I picked this one up on the 17th. My friend had this color on and I needed it. Unfortunately, either I got an "off" color or she got lucky with a really awesome "off" color because mine does not look like hers. Kind of disappointing. However, the brush from Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri creations is actually really helpful. They've improved on it since it first came out, and the shape is great. It really keeps you from needing to clean anything up at all. Just position it right, glide it over your nail, and no clean up necessary. Very cool.

I've been sick lately...again, so that's the reason for no posts. I'll be up to doing more eventually.

A silly design!

2010-03-19T13:10:00.004-04:00

I was testing out a new Konad nail art plate and trying out some silliness. Not my favorite look, but I feel like it'd be good for a themed party...with um, robots and lots of techno music.

Also, my nail dilemma began a few weeks ago. Getting acrylics every 2-3 weeks gets pricey, so I decided to thin out the acrylics by filing them down and my hope was that at some point, my normal nail would be underneath and still somewhat long and pretty. Well, I did get to my real nail, but it ended up being too thin to withstand my life of kids and their craziness. So I filed them down big time, still kept some length, and just got acrylics put on top. I requested that she keep them thin, but I still definitely need to thin them out anyway. Not a fan of thick nails! I will do so when I actually have time to take the polish off and reapply. Won't be for a while.

Anyway, since I don't know when I'll have time to post again I figure I'll make this a longer one. My nails are a bit *too* short and stubby for my liking just yet, but they grow so incredibly fast, that I'm not worried. Also, they're a bit more practical right now. Sucks, but true.

This shade is by OPI. When I picked it out at the salon, I looked at the bottle, concentrated on the name, recited it in my head...and I don't remember for the life of me the name. The good thing is that it's a very basic red. Anybody can make this shade so it's not terribly important.

The bottle I'm holding is Out the Door by INM. I've only used it a few times because I was having issues with Seche Vite. My issue was the consistency got gloopy SO easily and it was just not my thing to spend that much on top coat, only to have it rendered useless half-way through its use. So before I got Seche Restore, I picked this up.

I feel like it clouded the polish itself when I applied it, lightening up the base a bit. Not a huge deal unless it's a vibrant color that you wish to keep vibrant! It also felt as though it stayed tackier longer, whereas Seche is rock hard within 1-2 minutes. It's not a big deal but I noted the difference nonetheless.

If people are interested in Seche Restore, since I know many have consistency issues, let me know and I'll talk about that in a future post!

K, I'm bored of typing. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I'm off to Disney. Woo! =D

ps: Holy label batman for this post...geez!

Color Club and ORLY!

2010-03-14T21:15:00.002-04:00

I figured I'd put these two in one post because I have some nail art combining these two coming up later this week.

The first one is Twiggie by Color Club. It's a neon green, but not offensively bright or anything like some other neon greens tend to me. I like this one a lot actually. It dries flat and I don't think I have a top coat on here, but it would definitely need one (as do all colors!).

The other one is Shine by ORLY. This one is interesting because unlike other metallic shades, this one gives off a foil type appearance. It reminds me a bit of Minx nail art, which isn't practical for every day use...or wallets. It also is different in that it actually reflects other colors, because of it's foil-like deal. You can't see it in this picture, but it's all very cool.

I have some nail art with Shine and Twiggie, and I'll be posting it later this week. But for now, I have to gear myself up to deal with the yuck that is every Monday.

I'm still alive.

2010-03-11T12:16:00.004-05:00

Ok so I had these done days ago but this is the first time I've had a chance to post anything. Life is cruel.

This is more Konad, and in upcoming posts, I'll have a few new colors and designs to share. So stay with me!

I tried out this sort of animal-type print with two different colors. This can be found on plate m2.

First, two China Glaze shades--Light as Air with Grape Pop on top.

Then I tried out Snow Queen by Color Club, with the CND Effect Gold Shimmer. I thought the effect might be the best idea on such a dark shade because it doesn't necessarily enter a whole new shade into the mix. Rather it gives off an effect. (Hence the name of the polish!)

My mistake though, was not remembering the fact that Effects tend to depend on the lighting. Therefore, while solid shades give off the same color all the way around, a design made with Effects differs in coloring and shade depending on the position of your nails and the light. The result, in short? It looked like I only had part of my nails done when you looked at them head on. Not my intentions, so I didn't keep it around. Good thing to know, though!

Next up...fun new colors and a new Konad design plate! Wee!

An update, yay!

2010-03-05T23:10:00.003-05:00

More art, of course, because I'm lacking in the new polish department. There are some I'm interested in by OPI, China Glaze, and Color Club...but I've have to have my monetary priorities and it sucks!

Anyway, this will do for now. It's fun anyway.

I use Bahamian Escape by China Glaze as my base, and my brand new Lemon Fizz (from Up and Away by China Glaze) as my design color.

This is the Konad plate I used:

This is the outcome:

It's pretty spring-ish and stuff, so that works out. I redid my nails today though with a different design, and two different purples. I shall share that soon!

Konad Nail Art...again!

2010-02-28T18:10:00.000-05:00

So this is probably going to be my new thing until I get some new polish. I actually am quite the fan of how nail art can spice up polishes that you've used either a hundred times before, or just once or twice!

This is what I'm sporting now, and I've gotten many "Wow, how did you do that??" remarks. I'm not sure if they're intrigued or frightened, but I appreciate the fact that people *think* it took a lot of effort. I let them keep thinking that.

From:

I used China Glaze's White Out as my base coat, and use Raven by Zoya for the design. The cool thing about this design is that it's abstract and meant to look messy so your application doesn't have to be exact! You can turn the stamp whichever way or redo certain spots that you misssed and it still keeps within the theme. Makes it easier.

KONAD Nail Stamping Art!

2010-02-26T13:21:00.001-05:00

I ventured into a new side of nail prettiness with Konad Nail Stamping Art. I had seen designs on nails in other blogs and it always intrigued me. I youtubed some Konad tutorials on Youtube first, to make sure it was something I was capable of (it was questionable!) and then went ahead and bought a starter set from WowSoCool.com. Great prices and shipping is free over $20, so yay!

This was my first attempt, so it isn't great, but you get the idea:

(This is layered on top of Grape Pop by China Glaze.)

I ordered this:

It included a stamping plate, a scraper, the special nail polish, and a stamper of course.

For those who are unfamiliar, I'll lay it out pretty simply for you. In order to stamp, you take the polish (it does not have to be Konad's special polish, but a thicker formula is best) and drop a good amount into the design from the stamping plate, such as this one:

Then you use the scraper:

You scrape the excess polish off of the plate, lightly and quickly. Then you use your stamper, such as this one:

You place the stamper on top of the design with your polish inside and press down. Then you just take the stamper with the design now on it, and roll it onto your nail. And viola! Dunzo. I put a top coat on top to keep it from getting messed up.

A close up view of the design:

I enjoy it. It can spice up polish that you might otherwise be getting bored of, but can't be bothered to remove and replace. LOL

So nail art. Your thing or no?

Another Finger Paints!

2010-02-23T19:34:00.000-05:00

I had to go try another Finger Paints out, so I went back to Sally, picked up INM Out the Door Top Coat (will make a post about this later) and this...Artistic Azure.

As with my other Finger Paints bottle, Artist's Sapphire, the application was easy and smooth. This one was lighter than the past, so it was a bit more streaky but it was fine. Wasn't really feeling blue at the time so I didn't keep it on for long but oh well!

China Glaze Up and Away - Part V!

2010-02-18T14:25:00.000-05:00

This shade is Light as Air, the last of my Up and Away collection.

Not my favorite color, but it's a nice pastel regardless. I'm debating getting Re-Fresh Mint but I just need to add a few more to my order to make shipping worth it.

I'll also be getting a thinner by Seche Vite which supposedly returns the Top Coat to its original consitency. Which, if you use SV, you know how nice that would be since it has the tendency getting gloopy and gross and annoying--basically useless, by the time half of the bottle is used. Hopefully the thinner will correct that. I'll keep ya updated.

China Glaze Up and Away - Part IV.

2010-02-17T12:06:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad I finally began paying attention to Roman numerals sometime in high school.

Anyway, this is what I'm wearing today from China Glaze's Up and Away collection--Something Sweet! (I cannot figure out why this picture uploaded so fuzzy and blurry looking. It looks so much better on my computer, wtf. lol)

I've had slight issues with the application/formula of all but Grape Pop so far. Something Sweet is probably 2nd or 3rd in line as the least annoying formula. Still a bit gloopey/thick/sticky/whatever, but not as bad as say....Lemon Fizz or Peachy Keen. Which is sad, because these are all such beautiful colors!

This one is a bit more pink in person in the sense that it's a very...delicate and feminine pink. I really like it because it's definitely outside of my usual range of colors. I tend to stick with bright and bold or dark and bold and this is just very girly. I like it though. And my 2nd graders and precshoolers all seemed to have loved it too. Lots of compliments from the youngest of nail polish lovers. =P

China Glaze Up and Away - Part III.

2010-02-14T12:43:00.000-05:00

Ok so for my favorite Up and Away shade from China Glaze....Grape Pop!

Now, I'm not a huge purple person but this shade is the perfect purple. Not lavender, not near-black, not something funky in between, but a perfectly purple creme that I've been waiting for. I love it dearly and it will definitely be a spring/summer favorite, I'm thinking.

On a side note, who is ready for spring/summer??? I am.

China Glaze Up and Away - Part II!

2010-02-13T11:54:00.001-05:00

I shared China Glaze's Peachy Keen with you yesterday, and today I present to you...

Lemon Fizz!

Now here's my thing. It's paler in the bottle than on your nails which is okay, but I was really anticipating the pale look. Also, it was hell for me to put on. It could have been the humidity (it was cold, but rainy as could be) so I'll give it another try when it's nicer out and see if the application is less sticky and thick. I really enjoy the color though. It's the only true creme yellow I have and I love it for that alone!

Let's start with the one I LOVE.

2010-02-12T13:32:00.000-05:00

Ok, even though I didn't decide on putting this one on my nails today, I am in LOVE with this color. I'm not a huge peachy-type person but this one reminds me of like, orange sorbet or something equally spring and summer-like with a lot of sun. Which is both nice and sad because it's currently in the 40s and gross and rainy.

China Glaze's Peachy Keen from the Up and Away collection is just perfection in color. In application, it's a bit on the thick side which makes applying it a bit sticky and difficult. It seems to have evened out though. It's gorgeous!

I'm in the process of swatching the rest, all of which seem to have the same sticky/thick issue. But the colors are so freakin' nice that I'll just deal!!

My order arrived!

2010-02-11T18:59:00.000-05:00

Weeee!

Hi y'all! Long time no post, I know. I've been so stupidly busy, it's driving me insane. Anyway my China Glaze order with the Up and Away collection came in today. Except a post tomorrow. =)

Finally!

2010-02-06T16:11:00.000-05:00

Ok so I finally got my nails done today and I'll share that color tomorrow or whatever, but I deleted my last post with ORLY's Green with Envy because it had been cloudy and the lighting didn't do it justice. The Sunshine State is sunny again and here's the truest picture I could get.

Swatches from other sites show a more blue/teal color and that's just not accurate. This is how it really looks. And I got lucky with the nice star effect...thanks camera!

Love how springy it is and finally goes perfectly with this 65 degrees and sunny weather! Not that I'm bragging to the entire east coast or anything.

China Glaze Up and Away is...on its way.

2010-02-05T20:22:00.000-05:00

I did a bit of fun shopping today to celebrate surviving yet another week of utter chaos. I gave into the urge to buy nearly the entire China Glaze Up and Away collection. Here's what I'll be swatching for you at some point this month once it gets here. I am psyched!

Any votes on what you'd like to see first once it gets here?

Why have I never gotten Finger Paints before?

2010-01-31T17:38:00.000-05:00

K, so I went into Sally Beauty today for the first time (I know!) and I saw a wall of Finger Paints. I've seen swatches before and always been intrigued but never could find the online. Anyway, I picked up what I thought was one of the most unique colors there and I am quite impressed!

Ok first, ignore the fact that I need my acrylics filled. They're getting done on Saturday!

Close up:

This one is called Artist's Sapphire. The first coat appears purple and then the second (which is all you need...great coverage, very pigmented!) is an obvious and rich shimmery blue. I can't say enough about it. The application was probably the smoothest and cleanest I've had so far and it's just SO pretty. I can't wait to go back and get more Finger Paints...when I have more $$$ that is!

Oh and I have to add that as nice as I think it looks here, it is so much prettier in person. It gives off an even smoother, shiny, goodness that is hard to capture just on camera. I love!

The weather stinks and I'm procrastinating.

2010-01-30T15:31:00.000-05:00

I could be doing homework but I just got some done and just. Ew. I'd be taking new swatches today also but the weather is terrible and therefore, the lighting would be as well. Unless it's nice our tomorrow, that'll have to wait until at least Friday or Saturday now, at the earliest. I hate my grownup schedule. =(

Anyway, this one for whatever reason, I've never posted. This is "With Abandon" by Color Club. I remember ordering it specifically because there didn't seem to be a good deal of swatches out there (at the time at least) and I was very curious.

So here it is!

Close up:

It's a brown base that starts off gray. Very odd. But it turns into a dark brown (not quite black) with speckles of gold glitter. It was actually perfect for Halloween...too bad it's um, almost Valentine's Day. I'm with it, alright!

So I've been doing some re-swatching...

2010-01-24T15:19:00.001-05:00

I've been looking through past posts and noticed some awful swatching jobs. So I've been in the process of redoing. I also found some that I hadn't shared at all! So I'll do that eventually.

So, while I cook that all up, what do I have on my nails right now? An oldie. Misa's Dirty Sexy Money. I couldn't remember why I hadn't worn it often until I went to apply it and wanted to kill the bottle. I don't know if it was my bottle in particular or maybe my patience is lower than usual but it took forever and made me very dajflkajdlaksjk (!!!!) about it all.

It's pretty though and I feel like it's not *too* bold for work so I went with it. Not sure if it's easy to see in this photo, but it's a green with blue-ish undertones, but mostly looks like, well, money! Imagine that. A nail polish name that makes sense. Anyway, here's to another crazy week ahead....

Let's paint.

2010-01-23T17:21:00.001-05:00

Another oldie but a goodie is China Glaze's Paint the Town Red. It's like their Revolution shade, but has pinker undertones to it, whereas Revolution strikes me as more orange-red in the direct sunlight.

I wore this on my first day of interning...felt the safest, without being totally boring. LOL

On with the pinks!

2010-01-21T19:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I shared a coral pink and now for a very true pink. This is Sexy Lady by China Glaze!

Not much to say other than that it's a perfectly pink pink, even though it seems to have taken on a purple undertone in this photo. It's bright, but not offensively so, and it goes on nicely and smoothly. Works for me!

This one has a simile in its name!

2010-01-20T10:40:00.000-05:00

Sorry. I spent yesterday searching for similes with second graders. It get to you.

Anyway, this is Essie's "Cute as Button". It's a coral/salmon type shade in the pink family and I feel like it's not as bright in person as it is in this photo. It's reallllly hard to capture pinks with my camera for some reason, but this is pretty close.

Smooth application (an oddity with Essie brushes, I've found), and only takes a few coats. For a hand-me-down, it's not too shabby!

A dupe? I think so.

2010-01-18T13:18:00.001-05:00

So, I got my nails all prettied up the other day and chose OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark, since I don't have the color here at home and thought I'd try that one out. I looked through my collection and found what seemed to be a similar shade to photograph my nails with for the swatch. Today I decided to see just how close Color Club's Snow Queen was to LPAD. And, well, see for yourself.

I know this picture seems lighter than the ones from yesterday, but that's the different sun makes! It was cloudy yesterday and all pretty and sunny today, so you can see the lighter shades outside of artificial light.

Anyway, can you tell the difference?? Craziness, I tell you! =P

Girly days are good.

2010-01-16T14:18:00.001-05:00

K, so it's been a little while since I updated. I've been sick on and off since December 31st, so I haven't really felt up to playing around with polish. Also, the semester has begun and I don't expect to come out of it sane. Just a fair warning. Updates will be less frequent than before (ie: not every day anymore), but please be sure to check back often.

I got my nails done today and went for OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark, a "classic" of sorts amongst the nail polish blogs. Of course I don't have the bottle, so I was stuck holding one that I thought matched it most closely, which is a shade by Color Club. I'll swatch that for y'all soon. I also held it up against Seche Vite so you could see the color a bit better.

It's a dark purple in the bottle, but definitely on the black side and took 2 coats. The girl who did my nails was in love with the color...guess nobody had picked it before! Folks have obviously missed out. =P

Anyway, she was 10x better than the other one who did my nails. I hated the flair the other one gave me, and I much appreciate her craft instead! Haha.

A comparison.

2010-01-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

When I first got Mesmerize by Essie, I thought it looked sorta kinda familiar. It reminded me (a lot) of On the Edge by Misa, another dark denim blue. When you put them side by side, you can see how similar they are in shade.

However, on the nails, you can see more of a difference. On the Edge is definitely more navy, while Mesmerize is maybe more denim? You decide.

Still, they're very similar shades and can easily replace each other if you happen to run out of one! Preference?

Blue and sparkels and such.

2010-01-10T14:09:00.000-05:00

Alright, this is a quick post, as I'm on my way out to do last minute everything, but here goes.

This is Mesmerize, by Essie. It's a nice, deep denim blue and the application wasn't too bad.

This is Mesmerize with the CND Effect of Emerald Shimmer! How cool. It gave off a sea green/blue look, and in the sunlight, you could best see the different shades within.

A random one for you.

2010-01-08T19:00:00.000-05:00

This is about as neutral and normal as I'm prepared to go as far as polish is concerned. At least for now. When I graduate this year and find myself looking for an actual career job, my thought process may change. Enter stress here...

Anyway, neutral for me is OPI's Over the Taupe. It's a muted brown/beige, with some pinkish undertones. It seems to do well on pale skin, so score one for Over the Taupe!

More Matte by ORLY.

2010-01-07T12:43:00.001-05:00

I just realized that I haven't shared Solid Gold by ORLY. Like Iron Butterfly, which I've posted, it's in the form of a matte and it's full of sparkle and wonderfulness.

My issue was my skin tone. I'm pale and this was not complimentary to me. I'm sure it look great on others though!

Ok, so I took my own advice.

2010-01-05T21:05:00.000-05:00

Alright, I asked if I should put an "Effect" on that good ol' Green Scene by CND but I couldn't wait around to see if anyone would answer. (I'm looking at all of you, btw.)

To save you scrolling time, ahem, here is Green Scene:

Throw some CND Effect of Emerald Shimmer, and viola!

Shimmers by CND tend to lighten up the base color completely, and then add its own unique shimmer and sparkle. This one did exactly that.

You can see the effect in greater detail, here:

Out of the sunlight, it has a much smoother look which is just as pretty, only in a different way. I love it all!

Now, I know my readers are out there and I'm going to call you all out and ask...which do you prefer? Basic cremes, or an added shimmer? Should I keep showing off different effects or what? It helps me to know what people are looking for when I am making swatches.

Plus, it's nice to feel like I'm talking with, rather than just talking at you all! =)

I've been eying this one for a while.

2010-01-04T20:31:00.000-05:00

Ok, so Green Scene by CND (Creative Nail Design) is a "colour" (makes me feel fancy...or British, typing that way) that I've been eying for a while. Finally, when I made my most recent order, I went for it.

I think I was expecting a lighter color, but this shade is lovely as well. It's a very nice, simple green that I haven't found elsewhere. I'm thinking of dazzling it up a bit with an "Effect" tomorrow. Hmm...should I??

Grey, gray, however you spell it!

2010-01-04T01:04:00.000-05:00

This one is a classic among nail polish folks, and so I felt the need to add my two cents. This one is Recycle by China Glaze, and it's a very basic grey creme that you can never seem to find elsewhere. Sure, other brands make greys, but usually they have shimmer or sparkles or something to ruin the look.

It's pretty thin, so it takes several coats, but it's perfect after that. If you've been searching for a clean grey, Recycle is your friend!

While we're on this kind of path...

2010-01-02T14:20:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I showed you what a suede from OPI looked like, and today along those same lines, I have a metallic matte to share, but this one is by ORLY.

The name of this shade is Iron Butterfly and I actually really like it a whole lot! Most people are curious how mattes look alone and then with a top coat, so I have it all laid out for you!

This is by itself:

You can see the detail in those. It's a black/grey/charcoal shade with definite silver glitter specks, giving it a metallic feel.

I actually prefer it with the top coat, as in this swatch:

But I'm a glossy loving girl, so it's all up to opinion! Which way do you prefer your mattes? As intended, or with added gloss?

What's on my nails, today?

2010-01-01T16:24:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve/New Year's Day. Today I thought I'd post what I currently have on my nails.

OPI makes a shade called Russian Navy in a couple different forms. The one I have on is the Suede and it's a gorgeous color, in my humble little opinion!

This is in the direct sunlight, without a top coat. I plan to get a top coat pic up sometime today and I'll just edit it into this post. I'm a "shiny" loving person so I always put top coats on these types of polishes. It kind of defeats the purpose, but it's still a different type of texture than the original version and that's what makes it special to me. Also, suede dries SO quickly. And I've mentioned how insanely ADD I am before, so this is good for me.

ETA: Top Coat pic!

I feel like, in person, you can see more of the silver sparkle than shown in these pics. Just an fyi!

Happy New Year!!

2009-12-31T18:03:00.001-05:00

Hey all,

I don't have anything to share today because like most people on NYE, I've been super busy. Plus, there was that whole "woke up sick" deal that made me waste a good hour and change at the doctor's and then awaiting some good drugs to get me better. So that kind of threw my day off.

Anyway, enough whining for me! I will have plenty to share tomorrow and within the upcoming week, so please visit back soon!

Have a wonderful, happy, and SAFE New Year's Eve!

That other "sky blue".

2009-12-30T14:08:00.000-05:00

Ok, here's the other blue I promised. ORLY's Blue Collar darker (and more streaky) than China Glaze's Bahamian Escape, but after a few coats, it turns out to be a really nice, bright summer blue. Maybe it can serve as some inspiration to get you through some cold grey winter months??

Also, I got a bunch of polishes in today. There are some mattes, some suedes, and some others that I'm excited to share. Stay tuned. =)

Interruption of the blues...

2009-12-29T13:47:00.000-05:00

Hopefully you'll pardon by interruption of sharing different blues when you see how awesome this CND Effect is on top of an OPI.

I recently posted a swatch OPI's Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees and whined about how terribly the mini brush applied and stuff. I stand by that, but anyway, this was the picture:

I recently got the CND Effect called "Emerald Shimmer" and thought I'd try it out on top of the OPI. And hellloooooooo!

Awesome? I think so. I'll definitely be trying it out over other colors to see what kind of fun "effects" I can find. =)

Are you a fan of the Effects? Or not? Discuss!

A blue, as promised!

2009-12-28T13:49:00.000-05:00

Someone requested sky blue, and here is one of a few that I think fulfill that standard.

This one is China Glaze's Bahamian Escape and is pretty darn popular. I'm sure you can see why. This one has a pretty thick formula, so it only takes two coats to finish it all up. A definite recommendation, if you don't have it already.

Also, I put in another order on TransDesign, so you can expect some fun new ones when they get here this week. =)

The last of the minis!

2009-12-27T16:36:00.000-05:00

I must say: although the colors have all been lovely, I am glad to be done showing off the minis. They're a pain. I think you can tell by the not-so-great application here. Kind of messy, but that's life. I'd love to get a full size version of Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees, and I think I will eventually. When I'm done being broke, that is.

This one is OPI's No Spain, No Gain. Cute name.

The color was hard to capture on camera, but I think I got it with this one. It's a pink/purple combo, definitely leaning more towards maroon than any other color. For me, this is what I consider "work safe". It still may be too loud for others. LOL

The next two days will showcase two different blues. Someone had requested "sky blues" and the ones I show you will be my interpretation of just that. Any other requests while I'm at it?

Yesterday was full of epic fails.

2009-12-26T16:48:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I was determined to make this work, despite the fact that the world was working against me. Here's my issue, OPI. Ahem. Those minis? Very cute. And very annoying. Without boring the world with the longest.story.ever, I ended up having to use a Borghese brush because it came from a bottle with a similar shade as my OPI mini and because it fit in the little bottle.

Just to prove how INSANE the mini brushes are, here's a comparison of the brush I had to use, and the brush it came with.

'Nuff said? Good. The little brush just DID NOT WORK. I don't know if it was because the handle wasn't long enough or because the brush started nearly at the top of the handle and kept getting stuck or if it was just too skinny, but it created bubbles, streaked, just flat out refused to apply, etc. Hated it. Beyond that not working, let me explain how when your Seche Vite top coat gets too low, it makes application of a top coat nearly impossible. Cue ruined nails, and having to start over again. LE SIGH!

Regardless, I did end up getting OPI's Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees to work (eventually...you don't want to know how long this crap took me), and ended up with a color I really like. It's not too black and not too grey...very charcoal. Perfect for the wintertime!

Well, there isn't much for me to do today, so...

2009-12-25T16:33:00.000-05:00

As someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas, today has been pretty low key. So I'm around to post, still!

Today, I think, I will share a part of OPI's De Espana Senoritas Mini collection! This one is Pink Flameco.

It's such a pretty pink. My issue though is with the mini bottles. The brush is significant smaller than normal and I ended up getting a lot of bubbles with the first coat. It was a bit messier than usual and a bit of a pain, but I enjoyed the color. It's a classic nail polish pink, with a bit of a boost!

Hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas! =)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T18:52:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas has a wonderful holiday!

Someone on a message board requested swatches of blue, so I'll be posting a couple over the next few days and/or linking to past blues.

Before then though, I'm still on my "sharing what I got for Chrismukkah" kick. The other day I showed you Misa's version of a gold polish and today I'm sharing China Glaze's, from their Wizard of Ooh Ahz collection, called Cowardly Lyin'.

This one is definitely sheer and takes at least 3 coats. It's also a bit streaky, which I think you can see in the photo. I think that if I had put another coat on, it would have fixed that. I'm not sure that it works for my skin tone, but I do think it's very pretty!

Which gold do you prefer? Something bold like Misa's Disco Queen, or something less loud, like Cowardly Lyin'?

I got my nails doneeeee.

2009-12-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

Alright, so I've been dying to get my nails done up all pretty and I went for it today. I have NO clue why I picked out purple polish right before the holidays, but I did. It'll be off by tonight. LOL

Anyway, I shall show off for you the age old Do You Lilac It? by OPI. I'm holding a Zoya bottle because I don't have Lilac here at home and wanted to hold something, otherwise my camera didn't focus. Odd, I know, but true. Plus, the color is an exact match. Ha!

Weee, nails!

A different kind of purple.

2009-12-22T12:37:00.000-05:00

Another one of my nail polish gifts was from the China Glaze OMG! Collection. This one is "LOL" and definitely struck me as familiar.

Immediately, it reminded me of Color Club's Wild at Heart.

However, I think you can see that while Wild at Heart is a true holographic polish, LOL is more iridescent. There are definitely more blue and green hues to LOL, which you can see in the direct sunlight (as in the first picture). That said, they're still obviously very similar.

Which one do you prefer?

Misa is GOLDEN!

2009-12-21T19:00:00.001-05:00

Okay, can we start by saying how much I freakin' LOVE this? It's probably a bit much for some people, but I'm in love.

It takes about 2-3 coats but it dries within a minute and is just amazing. You definitely need to use a topcoat to get rid of the grittiness you'll find with any glitter, but it doesn't take away from the awesomeness at all. It's just. Awesome. Perfect for a glitzy New Year's Eve!

Love it or hate it??

Last part of the VS deal.

2009-12-20T17:23:00.000-05:00

I know I said four, but one just would.not.apply so we're down to three.

This one, Velvetini, was also horrible to apply (I think my sad picture here is clear evidence of that), so I'm obviously very unenthusiastic about this all. It was watery, streaky, and took several coats to cover that all up. I had to do a lot of cleaning up too because it just got everywhere. I think Victoria's Secret's Beauty Rush wouldn't be such an issue if it just wasn't so darn watery!

That said, I really liked the color. It was actually more shimmery with fewer coats, but if I didn't apply more coats, then it would look dumb. So it was a lose-lose situation for the most part.

Tomorrow I thinkkkk I'll be sharing this REALLY awesome Misa polish that is just so festive and glittery and perfect for the holidays and New Years. Some may say tacky, but me? I love it. Stay tuned, por favor!

Victoria's Secret Polish Part II!

2009-12-19T17:11:00.001-05:00

Here's the second one. This one actually was a pain in the butt to apply. How rude.

This one is Cherry on Top by Beauty Rush. It was reallllly thin and it went everywhere. It looked like I had stabbed myself before I cleaned it all up. In fact, most of the Victoria's Secret nail paints were like this in formula.

Pretty color, but I don't know if I can recommend any of these VS nail paints just yet.

And omg people, my bestie just sent me my Christmas/Hanukkah gifts and it is ALL nail polish. I will have tons to show you in the upcoming weeks...lots of OPI minis, China Glaze, Misa, and just YES. So excited.

Victoria's Secret makes nail polish?!

2009-12-18T14:08:00.001-05:00

Ok, so color me surprised when my friend handed me a gift bag with "nail paint" from Victoria's Secret, under the brand name "Beauty Rush". How I've gone this long without knowing that exists is beyond me. They don't have a lot of colors, but my friend managed to get me the ones she knew I would like. Go her.

I have four to share in the upcoming days, and here is the first!

I actually really like this one, because I have nothing like it. It's a very bubblegum/Barbie pink, even if that doesn't necessarily translate directly through the camera and computer screen. Its application wasn't great. The bottle is small, so the brush and handle length is short, which makes it tricky. It took about three coats to stop being streaky, but it did try pretty quickly. That's always a plus!

Wonderful day!

2009-12-17T14:18:00.000-05:00

So today I passed my final certification test. I'll be celebrating by going out today after work, so I don't have anything new to show you. However, I do have a "How does this look after 5 days?" test swatch for you.

This is OPI's Holiday Glow when I first put it on, 5 days ago:

And this is after 5 days:

It may have lost most of its shine, but it's holding up insanely well. I mean, this is post-daycare and post-bathroom scrubbing. Impressive.

Shimmery shim!

2009-12-16T14:18:00.000-05:00

I must say, when I first took a look at my new OPI bottle, Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow, my first thought was "This looks like..."

But then I realized, "Ok ok, not quite..." This is Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow!

Compared to ORLY's Enchanted Forest, Here Today is darker and has a shimmer, whereas Enchanted Forest is a creme. This shade is actually fairly sheer for a dark color. It took about 3 coats to get it evenly applied. But it's actually a really nice color. It has a definite shimmer to it (especially in the sunlight), but it does have the tendency to take on a much darker shade outside of the sun. It's almost black at times.

I'm just glowing!

2009-12-15T12:40:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I talked about Ulta's Buy 2-Get 1 Holiday Edition free deal with OPI, right? Since I had basically all of the Holiday editions already, I went with the one I skipped out on when I placed my most recent order.

Behold, Holiday Glow!

Sunlight:

Artificial light:

So here's what I love about it. It pretty much looks completely different in sunlight than it does inside. (Btw, did I mention SUN HAS RETURNED TO CENTRAL FLORIDA?! Weeeee!)

Anyway, it's pretty great. I'm clumsy as all get-out and constantly messing up my nails, but it's stayed on fairly well these past few days. Score one for OPI!

Wait, suede?

2009-12-14T13:07:00.000-05:00

This one intrigued me like whoa. I went to Ulta recently and for OPI they had a Buy 2-Get 1 Free (holiday edition) deal. Then of course, I had a $3.50 coupon and how does that not make life complete? Good deal, my friends!

I didn't really know what to make of OPI's Suede collection because it did not compute in my brain. I hadn't seen anything online about it, so my brain was generally all "What?"

But look.

This is a swatch of OPI's You Don't Know Jacques, Suede. If I had to explain it, I'd say it's somewhere between regular and matte. It's very smooth and dries so nicely and quickly. I imagined it would be streaky, but it so wasn't.

I figured some may be interested to know what would happen if they put a top coat on, so....

It kind of ruins the effect big time. Still looks good, but doesn't fulfill its intended purpose. Which do you prefer?

Budget part II.

2009-12-13T16:25:00.000-05:00

Ok, so this one is a little out there, but if you're out there as well, then you may be intrigued.

This is definitely "whoa". Very sparkly, very full of color (I think an entire rainbow was stuffed into the bottle), but also very fun. Not so fun to take off, seeing as it is all glitter but oh well.

I'm actually really excited to share three different OPI shades with you in the coming days. I've got some glitter, some suede, and some shimmer and it's all very pretty! Stay tuned. =)

So, we're on a budget.

2009-12-12T17:43:00.000-05:00

We're on a budget like most people in America (and around the world) these days. We can't always spend big amounts on nail polish and shipping. I'm one of those people! So I hit on Target the other day while holiday shopping and could not avoid the nail polish section.

Here's the thing. Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear polish is actually pretty good, especially considering the price. Even some of our pricier nail polish brands, such as OPI, China Glaze, Misa, and Color Club are prone to chipping insanely, depending on the color and type. So if you're not looking to spend much, then hopefully I can help you out over the next few days by presenting colors that are still really nice, but don't come with the big price tag.

Today's color, *drum roll please*, is Green With Envy.

It applied just as smoothly as many of the other brands, the brush was nice, and it's quite pretty. Definitely more of a spring color than a winter one, but if we've been able to throw out that "don't wear white after Labor Day" rule, then who cares about our nails!

Happy Hanukkah!

2009-12-11T14:20:00.000-05:00

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah...hope it's joyful for all who celebrate!

Today I have another random one. It's Raven by Zoya, a black polish with some definite shimmer in the right lighting.

I think you might be able to see it in this picture, but maybe not. In the sunlight, it's quite obvious. Unfortunately, sun doesn't exist in Florida anymore. At all. Regardless, it's very pretty but it does not wear well. I had definitely signs of wear by the second today. Sadness.

Anyway, throughout the next few days, I'll be showing you all some cheaper polishes. With the holidays here, or around the corner, budgets are tighter and not everyone can afford OPI, China Glaze, and other higher end polishes. I should know! So, while I await some nail polish goodies, I'll present to you all some more affordable options! Sound good?

Feels wintery!

2009-12-09T13:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, so first...I apologize for the application here. I'm kind of in a rush but wanted to share this one because I actually really liked it.

I first applied Mint Candy Apple by Essie:

Before I say anything else, I want to mention that in general, taking pictures of sparkles is nearly impossible. So this is as true to life as possible, but definitely not exact. In person, there is a much softer, pinker sparkle and it just reminds me of snow, oddly enough.

It's fairly frustrating because to be unable to get a 100% correct picture, but...take my word for it? Regardless, it's a nice little addition to a creme.

Oh, shiny!

2009-12-07T14:14:00.000-05:00

If you're easily distracted like shiny object as I am, then you may like this post.

A few posts back, I showed you all the really pretty color of OPI's Ginger Bells.

Well, I said I'd be showing you "effects" (ie: saving money on polish) and this one is super cool.

I used CND's "Gold Shimmer" effect.

Here's the thing. I think my skin tone may be too light for this, but I definitely can see it working nicely for darker tones. And by darker, I mean anything that isn't as pathetically white as my skin.

In some lights--and the Effects are ALL about lighting--it is purely a gold color. And in other tones, you can see almost a pinkish glow going on. This picture I think captures both possibilities. Let me know what you think!

Comment Here

2009-12-04T11:51:00.001-05:00

This is a PS to my other posts, I've decided. I've had 500 hits and hundreds of return visitors, which makes me SO happy. It means I'm posting stuff that is worthwhile to at least some people! But nobody is leaving me feedback. And I'm not a feedback whore, ya know? But it would be helpful to get an idea of what people like, don't like about the blog or what people would like to see in terms of shades, brands, etc.

If I can get a feel for my blog visitors, I'm sure I'd be able to help you make viewing more enjoyable or helpful or whatever!

So, I'm pretty sure I have anonymous commenting on. Go ahead and comment under anonymous and just let me know whatever is on your mind. I'm thisclose to begging you all. Seriously!

If you don't feel comfortable leaving feedback on here, feel free to share with me your comments/questions/concerns/love-hate mail at passionatepolish@gmail.com.

Thanks, my lovelies! =)

Because I'm feeling festive!

2009-12-04T11:47:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I was supposed to go do some Holiday-ish stuff today and in order to preare, I of course had to get my nails ready. That meant being a total dork. I'm good at that. So I used two polishes I've always swatched up on here and made a pretty Christmas pattern. Of course.

It (kind of) brightened up this otherwise totally yucky, gross, rainy, cold day. Btw, it seems like everywhere, people are having yucky days. Is this entire country under one big cloud??

Let's discuss the awesomeness for a second.

2009-12-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I was reluctant to show a swatch of Sapphire in the Snow by OPI because purple refuses to photograph well...ever. It looked navy blue each time and it just seemed useless. However, I kind of got a close swatch to the color in this photo right here:

I mean, it still looks blue, but it's a very dark purple, on the edge of looking blue or black depending on the light so I agreed to it. But thennnn, I was all "Hm, I wonder if..."

And this happened, and it was good.

(sunlight)

(artificial light)

I used the Crimson Sparkle effect by CND, and it just made everything so much better. It lightened up the base to give it an obviously more purple look, and the sparkles actually make it look a bit similar to Wild at Heart by Color Club.

I tried to get a close up of the shimmery sparkly goodness:

Overall, I'm in love. I'll probably be sharing different effects and bases with you for the next week or so, because you can actually save on polish if you're not afraid to do some ~experimenting~ with effects, and see what different kinds of shades and colors you can create!

As promised!

2009-11-30T19:03:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I posted the shade of Raspberry Parfait (CND), before any "Effect" was put on top.

Today, I shall show you the effect of Crimson Sparkle (CND)!

It's fairly subtle, but definitely a pretty little "umph" that kicks it up a notch if creme is too boring for you! I'll be testing out the Crimson Sparkle effect on other colors for y'all soon!

The one where it makes you hungry.

2009-11-29T12:43:00.000-05:00

Combined or apart, the words "Raspberry Parfait" probably make you hungry. And it's such a yummy shade, that it should!

I have to say, I don't think I have a pink like this, especially when I compared it to other bottles of pink. It has purple undertones, but in person, it's just very...pink and pretty. Like many of CND's "Colour" shades, it's very thin in formula, so you have to apply carefully to keep from getting messy. But it covers quickly and well.

This is a part of CND's Colour and Effects line. All colours can stand alone (of course) and the effects can likely be combined with any other color as well, provided you pair it with a reasonable color. As in, you wouldn't pair Crimson Sparkle with a gold...that'd be gross. And probably wouldn't work.

Tomorrow I'll show you what Raspberry Parfait looks like with that Crimson Sparkle I just mentioned! =)

The one where I'm slightly confused.

2009-11-27T17:35:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

A part of OPI's holiday collection is an a interesting little shade called Shim-merry Chic.

I'm not sure how I feel about it. I think I like it, but I'm not sure. Is that odd? You might not be able to see it in the picture, since it's been downsized, but there are definite chunks of orange/gold glitter in it, along with smaller shimmery pieces of green and blue. So it's definitely intriguing, but I'm thinking you need certain skin tones for it to work well on you. It needs about 3 coats to gain opaqueness.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T17:17:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Yesterday, I posted one-half of the traditional Christmas color scheme. Sparkly red meets sparkly green, now!

This is Emerald Sparkle by China Glaze and it's wonderful. The name pretty much says it all. This dark green goes on smoothly, and only requires two coats. It's so incredibly festive, that I don't think I'll be able to resist making a pattern out of Smitten With Mittens and this one very soon. =)

The one where I am smitten!

2009-11-25T12:52:00.000-05:00

Ok, so can we just first discuss how insanely difficult it is to photograph glittery colors when there is absolutely no sun to be found? Because it's difficult. Hopefully at some point in the near future, Florida will decide to accept the sun again and I can redo this picture for y'all! But for now, hopefully this can suffice.

This is Smitten with Mittens by OPI, of course.

It's so so so so pretty. It's an obviously red base, with gold sparkles within. The first few times I took pictures, it came out gold and I was all "...oh." So that's what that is. But in person, it's definitely very red, very Christmas-y.

To help you get a better feel for the speckles, sparkles, and glitter, here is a verrrry up close macro of the color itself. You can see different shades of red, pink, and gold!

Are you totally smitten??

The one where YAY.

2009-11-24T13:29:00.000-05:00

Alright people, I have a lot to share this week. My new order from TransDesign came in and I was of course, psyched. Each day I'll share a new color, because why not?

I figure I'll start with the color I decided to wear. Ginger Bells by OPI is, well, gingery. It's something between pumpkin pie and ginger bread cookies, and since food is awesome, so is this shade. It goes on so smoothly and only takes about 2 coats...or 3, if you're anal like I am.

I feel like it goes with the Thanksgiving theme this week, ya know? I like!

The one with yellow.

2009-11-23T14:04:00.000-05:00

A yellow that I adore is Spark, by Orly.

The application is the total opposite of OPI. It's a bit more chalky and thick, but still streaky at first, as are most yellows and lighter shades. It takes about 3 coats to get it to look smooth and whatnot, but it's fairly worth it! There's a tiny bit of shimmer that is obviously invisible in this picture, but it's there in the right lighting! =)

The one with more holiday stuff.

2009-11-22T18:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I posted about a rockin' silver color by Ulta, and along the holiday collection theme comes Star Party! I guess I'd describe the color as raspberry, because it's red with some definite pink undertones. And sparkles, of course. Not going to lie...it made me want something to eat with jelly. Because really, that's what it looks like!

The one with sparkles.

2009-11-21T14:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I was out on a random "What can we do with $10 in our pockets?" night with a friend and we ended up in Ulta. Well, Ulta was having a 5 for $5 mix and match, and helloooo nail polish. So I did very well last night.

I currently have White Out by China Glaze (from my last post...go look!) on my nails. I bought a very awesome silver-sparkle color from Ulta, called Socialite, and applied it to the top of the white and it's fabulous!

This was with two coats of Socialite. For a less dramatic sparkle, one layer will definitely do. I'm very tempted to try it on top of black, green, and red now! I'm a pathetically festive soul, so this is way too fun for me.

It's a "Limited Edition" color, so if you're interested, get your butt over to Ulta ASAP and get a good deal on this one, and others while that offer lasts!

The one where now I'm broke!

2009-11-19T13:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, I did some splurging on TransDesign today! I'm considering it stress therapy. I decided to go for the holiday collections so that a) I could be festive, because that's my favorite thing EVER and b) So that you all would have a chance to see some swatches before the holidays in case you love being festive too!

So, this is what I ordered!

OPI - Smitten With Mittens

OPI - Sapphire in the Snow

OPI - Ginger Bells

OPI - Shim-merry Chic

China Glaze - Emerald Sparkle

CND - Colour - Raspberry Parfait

CND - Effect - Crimson Sparkle

I should be getting them sometime before Thanksgiving (I hope??). Please post a reply here (I know you're out there...) letting me know which ones you'd be most excited to see first. I'd rather post colors people are interested in, rather than bore you with ones you couldn't care less about! So please, suggestions...I loveeeee them.

The one that looks fallish.

2009-11-18T13:24:00.001-05:00

So this is what I have on my nails right now. Speed of Life by Misa.

Pretty color? Check. Shiny? Check. Love the look? Check. Applies well? Hell.freakin.no.

Ok, let's whine about this for a second. It applies about as well as I presume glue would apply to your nails. I've never tried, but this is my wild guess here. It's odd too, because all of the other Misa bottles I have apply like butter!

A very thick, gooey substance lives in this bottle. Even when the first layer has dried (and it takes several layers), as soon as you apply the next, it pools and sticks and does really annoying things. Maybe it was just my bottle, but I have to be honest here. If you have a lot of patience and time, go for it--the color is awesome. But if you're as ADD as I am? Not the greatest choice. And it's a shame, because I love it otherwise!

The one with more OPI.

2009-11-17T14:26:00.000-05:00

I've rediscovered OPI after swearing it off. This is one of the first ones I bought from OPI and I can't figure out why I didn't totally love it before!

This one is Teal the Cows come home, and while I'm not really into chrome, the color is just so pretty. Plus, it's more shimmery than chrome in person, so whatever! It applied nicely, although took at least three coats--it was very sheer. Finally though, a true teal. Not too blue, not too green. Teal. 'Nuff said.

Tomorrow I'll probably be sharing another shade by OPI. Or hm, maybe Misa. Haven't decided yet!

The one with festivity.

2009-11-16T19:07:00.000-05:00

Alright, I promised a post, and a post shall be made.

But here's the deal. I spent the weekend at my sister's, and I used her polish so I don't have the bottle to hold my nails up against. The shade is Ruby for Rudolph and I figured it was so pretty that it was worth sharing anyway.

It chipped on my left hand like crazy already so I'll be repainting with a different shade tonight. Hopefully I'll have something else to share with you by tonight or tomorrow. =)

The one where I'm back!

2009-11-16T12:15:00.000-05:00

Howdy! K, I'm back from traveling and back into reality. Which sucks. Class and work today (which I'm minutes away from heading off to!) are calling me, which means I won't have anything to share on here until later this evening.

I'll have a really festive OPI shade to share with you, so please be sure to check back tonight for a new post!

Hope you all had a good weekend, and a great week ahead of you!

The one with teal!

2009-11-12T12:03:00.000-05:00

Not quite blue, not green--so teal it is! Ok, this one really annoyed me. Not because of its application or anything, but because it would.not.photograph. It was so weird and I wanted to kill my camera and/or the polish.

Anyway, this is Aqua Baby by China Glaze. Which btw, is exactly the same as Shower Together. So if you're interested in getting both, save a few bucks and just close your eyes and pick one. I may or may not have made the mistake of ordering both, believing there was slight differences!

It's a nice color! Applies well, dries nicely, and all that jazz!

I'm going on a short "vacation" to go visit family this weekend, so there won't be any updates. I'll try to update with something on Monday, but I'm making no guarantees. Feel free to drop me some comments or suggestions on anything you'd like to see on this blog in the meantime! Have a great weekend!

The one that is very green.

2009-11-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

Since my last post blinded you, I figured I'd do it again. I'll have some more relaxing colors posted in the next few days, though!

This is an older one, but always awesome. It's In the Lime Light by China Glaze. It's a neon green, with a bit of shimmer thrown in. It's a fun color--not necessarily something you'd want to wear everywhere, but it's cool nonetheless.

Later on, either today or tomorrow, I'll have a MUCH more work-friendly green to share with you! =)

The one where you get blinded.

2009-11-10T14:33:00.000-05:00

Wanna talk HOT pink? Ok, let's do that. Let's talk Ali by Zoya.

I don't know how much I need to say about this pink, but when you compare it to Sexy Lady by China Glaze, you'll notice a few things. Ali has an odd purpleish undertone somehow, and that shows up a lot in pictures (more so than in person). It also dries 10x quicker. That said, I think I'm a bigger fan of Sexy Lady just because I'm not totally crazy about pinks with purple undertones.

Either way though, top if off with something glossy and you'll be good to go! Which do you prefer?

The one without pics. WHAT?

2009-11-09T18:56:00.000-05:00

Hey all,

I saw a spike in readers yesterday and today, which means yay, people are actually looking through this thing. Makes me happy, and I'd love to hear if any of you have any comments/questions/suggestions/etc...to share! I promise I don't bite.

Anyway, sorry for not having anything posted today. I've been feeling crappy (I blame the H1N1 vaccine!) and have just been trying to function through school and work while still surviving.

I mayyyyy post something later, depending on what I have time for, but I'll definitely have stuff to share by tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon. I'm thinking pinks!

Are there any colors or brands you're most interested in seeing swatches of right now? Lemme know and I'll see what I can do! =)

The one with the similar purple.

2009-11-08T12:18:00.000-05:00

K, so last night, in a half-sleep, I posted about Spontaneous by China Glaze.

For comparison reasons, I'll post the pic again.

A very similar purple is Malia by Zoya. Now, I got this one when Zoya was having its twitter promotion and handed out three free polishes to everyone! It was awesome. In comparison to China Glaze's Spontaneous, this one is definitely lighter. It is a bit thicker in formula (not as watery as CG) and only needs about 2 coats to become opaque. I think if I had to choose a favorite, it would be Zoya if only for those reasons.

Which is your favorite??

The one where I'm awake because of coffee.

2009-11-08T01:55:00.000-05:00

Longgggg day, people. Long day. I'm not even sure that I'm totally coherent right now, so just ignore any craziness.

Anyway, I've got this purple along with another one lined up for you. But I'm only posting one right now because I enjoy sleep and would like to experience it pronto.

This is Spontaneous by China Glaze. It's a lovely little purple. It's very thin in application, so you'd need at least three coats to get it to look acceptable. That said, it's really pretty and I'm not even a purple type of person. So that's saying a lot.

Tomorrow (or um, technically later today) I'll be showing you a comparison swatch of this one against a very similar purple by Zoya. I bet you just can't contain yourself with excitement. It's okay. Neither can I.

The one that shimmers...Part II.

2009-11-06T14:12:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I've mentioned and shown the Gold Shimmer Effect (from CND) before. Last time, I showed you what it looked like on Enchanted Forest by Orly.

Now, I'll give you a look at what it does to its own kind! Taken by the suggestion of other nail blogs, I tried out the effect on Raisin in the Sun, a "Colour" by CND. The formula is incredibly smooth, if not a little watery. It took about two coats to get this opaque color, although you'd only need one if you planned on using an Effect right after. Interestingly enough, it looks more chocolate-y in the bottle, and a bit darker on the nails. Can't figure that one out.

Anyway, I used the Gold Shimmer Effect and voila!

Interesting, no? It's a bit more green than I'd prefer, but the cool thing is that it has a different look in different lighting. It's more gold in natural light, and a bit more green in artificial light. Take that as you will! Either way, it's pretty darn cool. I'll have fun as I continue trying this out on different colors.

Alright, that's it for now! I'm assuming I won't be posting tomorrow...Disney World time! But check back on Sunday, I'm sure I'll have something new for you then. Happy Weekend!

The one with a little celebration.

2009-11-05T12:05:00.000-05:00

Alright, I'm from NY...so last night was just full of wonderfulness for me. Last night I previewed a swatch of On the Edge by Misa. Well, in honor of our World Series win last night (WOOOO!), I decided to get rid of Mint Candy Apple and paint my nails that great shade of blue.

Love it! Like I said in the other post, the application is smooth as can be and when you top it off with Seche Vite, it dries glossy within seconds.

The one where I have the blues.

2009-11-04T20:46:00.000-05:00

Today I had a case of the Mondays. On Wednesday. It happens. So I dove into my little collection and picked out two of my favorite blues, to turn my Mondays blues into "Oh, how pretty!"

These are just samples, but I'll have full swatches for you soon. I'm honestly just waiting for Mint Candy Apple to die off, but this polish may be determined to stay on for a very long time. We'll see.

One is from an older collection by China Glaze. This one is called Bahamian Escape. Although I've seen many swatches that make it appear to be a very light baby blue, I quickly realized how deceiving that was. Don't get me wrong, I love the color, but as you can see, it's not a baby blue, my friends!

My other favorite, which is one my favorites of all favorites, is On the Edge by Misa. First off, it applies with such smoothness, that it's amazing. It takes two coats, and is just all shiny and pretty and glossy and yay! I mean, how can you NOT love this shade?

So there you go! I have other blues that I shall share on another Case of the Mondays day, I'm sure, but this is it for now! Hope everyone has a non-bluesy day tomorrow...except for nail polish, that is. =P

Do you have any favorites to share with the class? Ahem.

The one where I haven't changed my nails yet.

2009-11-03T19:08:00.000-05:00

Ok, normally by this point I'd have changed my nail polish. But I have to tip my hat to Essie on this one. There is ZERO sign of wear right now with the Mint Candy Apple. And ya know, I work at a daycare. I'm constantly breaking/chipping/destroying my entire body. So, a couple days after the fact and it's still on my nails looking like I just painted them? Works for me. Here, you can take a look for yourself!

Definitely one of the few I've used that hasn't chipped after just one day. Maybe I'm super clumsy and just haven't been that way lately? Who knows. But I thought I'd share my happiness, since I haven't changed my polish and don't have anything new to post color-wise.

On a side note, the h1n1 vaccine? It has me feeling kind of yucky right now. But this is better than getting it and being out of commission for weeks at a time...right??

The one as per request!

2009-11-01T17:41:00.001-05:00

Ok, I meant to be done for the day but I was looking at different blogs and noticed that some people were looking for full swatches of Mint Candy Apple by Essie. So I felt compelled to help out, because it's really just such a unique color!

The one with the holographics.

2009-11-01T14:14:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween! Mine was something special, to say the least.

Alright, so I hope everyone is familiar with the awesomeness that is holographic nail polish. Color Club has a few really cool ones, and I'll highlight my two favorites here.

The first one is called Revvvolution (yes, with three R's!). With a grey base and green, blue, gold, yellowish-orangish fantastic within it, Revvolution just rocks my world. The best part, perhaps, is that it dries SO quickly. This is the one to throw on minutes before you have to be out the door. Trust, it's come down to that for me! Also, it covers very well. You only really need one coat, but you can use two if you're anal like I often am.

The second one is Wild At Heart. First off, let's state that I've always hated purple. But look. It's just full of...yes! Just looking at it makes me stupidly happy. Like the previous kind, this dries quickly and evenly, and only really needs one coat.

Anyway, that's all for now! Have a great week!