Suburban Beauty

Paul & Joe Ray

2012-01-28T10:08:00.001-06:00

3 coats

Ray is a squishy off white packed with flecked shimmer. It's gorgeous! Unfortunately, it makes my nails look bulky. You know that thick look you get when there's just too much nail polish on your nails? Can't stand it. Other than that, though, it's a beautiful shade that applied with no issues. Perhaps I'll try extra thin coats next time.

I totally forgot to mention their signature rose scent! I guess I just assume everyone knows. :) It's a lovely scent that isn't too overpowering or artificial. The perfect amount of rose, in my opinion.

Paul & Joe polishes are $14 and can be found at Apothica.com.

Paul & Joe Splendor

2011-12-13T08:36:00.002-06:00

I'm a sucker for a pretty coral, and this definitely fits the description. Splendor also has gold shimmer running through it, but it isn't always noticeable. Not really season-appropriate, but who cares? The formula is on the thick side and it does take a bit of finessing to apply this smoothly, but the extra effort is definitely worth it.

Do you polish your nails according to season, or do you wear whatever you want whenever? I think I'm a little of both!

Paul & Joe polishes are $14 and can be found at Apothica.com.

Essie School of Hard Rocks

2011-12-11T20:03:00.000-06:00

2 coats

My favorite from the collection! Such a gorgeous, dusty green. I've loaned this one to a few of my friends, and I think it's safe to say: this is gorgeous on everyone! So chic. The formula is nice and pigmented - I barely needed a second coat!

American Apparel Dance & Butter London Tart with a Heart

2011-12-04T18:20:00.000-06:00

Hello, readers! Long time now post. I've been ridiculously busy with life - you all know how it goes. I have tons to catch up on, including my 600 follower giveaway. Please bear with me while I play catch up and post things you may have already seen a million times by now! I'll try to throw in some current things as well. If you have any swatch/review requests, please feel free to contact me!

Onto the review...

I picked up a bunch of AA's new shades recently, and since I've been on an indefinite neutral phase, Dance was the first one I tried.

2 coats

Dance is a pale nude with a touch of pink. It's pretty neutral, not leaning too cool or too warm. It's squishy and sheer - probably could have used a third coat. The formula is nice and smooth, not too thick or runny. I had no issues with the application. I thought it might look very similar to Deborah Lippmann's Naked, but it is slightly paler and pinker.

1 coat over 2 coats of Dance, with flash

1 coat over 2 coats of Dance, natural lighting

Tart with a Heart is such a fun polish! It has gold, silver, and holo microglitter as well as round holo glitter all suspended in a clear base. It is on the thick side, but that doesn't hinder the application much. I love that it's dense enough to just do one coat for layering. I better it could be opaque on its own in three.

Are you loving any of the new American Apparel shades? What about the holiday Butters? Let me know in the comments!

Paul & Joe 013 Bon Bon

2011-08-27T12:49:00.000-05:00

2 coats

It's true: the polish inside is just as gorgeous as the bottle. This is such a fun shade of pink! While you may have something close or perhaps a total dupe, all of P&J's polishes smell like roses. How's that for a leg up on the competition? This applied beautifully and dried with a smooth, glossy finish.

Butter London No More Waity Katie

2011-08-11T08:25:00.000-05:00

This has been out since Spring, but I guess they are officially releasing it with the Autumn/Winter collection. This is great for those who missed out on it the first time around!

No More Waity Katie is an interesting polish. It's a sheer smoky grey with bright lavender glitter. I layered a coat of NMWK over Misa Office Polish-tics because I just didn't care for the swatches I'd seen of NMWK on its own. Here's Office Polish-tics by itself in case you're wondering:

1 coat

Yep, it's that pigmented and awesome in just one coat. Many of my favorite one-coaters are by Misa. I love this shade so much! It's one of the few polishes I've worn several times.

In other news, today is my birthday! It does't really count because 23 is a nothing age, but I'm going to treat myself to a couple Lippmanns, I think. :)

Butter London Wallis

2011-08-08T21:45:00.000-05:00

I had to take a break from Summer swatching (I have tons to share with you, btw!) to show you this beauty! I'm not pleased with Butter London's Autmn/Winter collection overall, but Wallis is definitely a star.

2 coats

Gorgeous, right!? I don't think this murky, gilded green looks amazing on me, but that's okay. It's pretty enough to ignore that small caveat. Wallis applied beautifully, as expected. I've had great luck with Butter London's new formula (post-.3fl oz bottles).

You can find Wallis at Nordstrom, Ulta, and wherever else Butter London is sold.

And if you're bored, check out Butter London's dictionary to find out what the names of your polishes reference!

Essie Resort 2011 Pt. 2

2011-07-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

As promised, here is the other half of Essie's 2011 Resort collection.

2 coats

Da Bush is definitely my favorite of the bunch. I'm a sucker for dusty cremes, and this one fits the bill. The warm, greyed-out green makes me think of the honey badger at night, hunting prey. I also love the formula. No problems whatsoever. I prefer this to Stranger Tides.

3 coats, 1coat Seche Vite

You almost got me, Essie. I *almost* fell in love with this whole collection, but Fair Game is one hurdle I can't get over. It's a steel blue with some green and lots of fine shimmer, I guess. The color is definitely interesting, but it's not my favorite. The formula is definitely not my friend. It was gloopy, and noticed it didn't do a great job self-leveling. I had to add a coat of SV to even it out. I will try this again, and I'm sure with a couple drops of thinner it will behave a lot more nicely.

Which shade do you love most from this collection? Was the Resort or Braziliant collection more applealing to you?

Open Letter: NARS Summer 2011

2011-07-06T08:00:00.004-05:00

Dearest Francois,

I love your polishes. Really, I do. When your Spring 2011 collection was released, and Desperado showed up at my door, I was so excited! When I put it on, that excitement was crushed. Totally unflattering. I didn't even bother posting it on my blog, can you believe it? Well, fast forward a few months to your Summer 2011 collection. You decided on a bright white and *cries* a gold. I'm not sure if you know this, Francois, but I have a serious aversion to gold. Nevertheless, I still placed an order for them because I love your polishes. I was a little apprehensive when they arrived. I mean, after the Spring debacle, who would blame me? Fortunately, Ecumé was not a total let down.

Opaque in two coats, it really is a beautiful white. But that's just it - it's white! I'd totally sing a different tune if it were a one-coater, but it's not. I am still greatful that you were so kind to release something that I will actually wear, though. Even if it's just a white.

Kismet, on the other hand, brought back the trauma I had only recently recovered from (via the Spring debacle), and once again I find myself asking why? Why, Francois, do you insist on crushing my dreams? On me, Kismet is 3 coats of disaster and mayhem. There are no other words. None.

I know these shades must look good on someone, but since that someone is not me, I humbly request that you stop coming up with these shades.

Forever (or until you release another ugly gold) Yours,
Lola B. of BurbBeauty.com

P.S. Galion is a huge step in the right direction!

I'm glad I got that off my chest!

Love it? Hate? Let me know how you feel about this collection.

Essence Forget Me Not

2011-07-05T18:40:00.000-05:00

1 coat

How aodrable is this color?? I'm a sucker for periwinkles, and the fact that it's a one coater makes it even more beautiful. There is also a subtle shimmer that is borderline imperceptable, but it adds a little somethin'. You just can't beat a $1.99 polish that looks this good!

Essie Resort 2011 Pt. 1

2011-07-03T11:26:00.000-05:00

I love Summer collections. Not only are they always full of fun, bright shades, but there is also no school, which means there is more time to enjoy them! I was especially looking forward to Essie's Resort collection, since last year's was such a surprise love for me. Splash of Grenadine and Lapis of Luxury are both in my top 20.

Anyway, onto the swatches!

2 coats

Lion Around is an interesting shade. It's a dusty pink with a touch of pink. I'm a fan. The shimmer gives it an interesting finish, too. It sort of reminds of the shimmer that is in the Zoya Touch polishes, but less obvious. I didn't have a problem with the formula either - perfectly opaque in two coats.

2 coats

Your Hut or Mine is a rosy pink with pink and gold shimmer. Love it! I'm a sucker with any color with gold shimmer, honestly. I think this could have used a third coat, but only because I applied such thin coats of this one. Not sure why. Anyway, it's stunning.

Swatches of the other half of this collection, Da Bush and Fair Game, coming soon.

Butter London Artful Dodger

2011-05-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

2 coats, 1 coat of CND Gold Sparkle on top

Artful Dodger is a slightly dusty blue with a touch of green. As gorgeous as it is on its own (sorry I don't have a pic of it!), I needed some shimmer in my life after a full weekend of Naked. I love what CND's Gold Sparkle does for this. So pretty!

Artful Dodger is available at butterlondon.com (though I recommend getting it from a b&m Ulta or beauty.com), and CND Gold Sparkle is available at several etailers.

Deborah Lippmann Naked

2011-05-25T10:28:00.000-05:00

No new posts in over a week, and now I'm going to show you a nude? For shame! Bear with me while I fawn over my new favorite (dare I say HG) nude:

2 coats

My picture may be slightly warm, but it's pretty close to what Naked looks like in person (on my monitor anyway). I'm not sure why I love it so much, but I wore it for 5 days without adding glitter or anything. Weird, huh? I would also like to note that it wore amazingly well through general wear and tear. No chips, just some tip wear.

Naked is $16 and available at deborahlippmann.com

Deborah Lippmann Rehab

2011-05-17T08:00:00.003-05:00

This polish taught me a very important lesson: don't loan polish that are not easily replaced! Several months ago, I loaned Rehab to friend, who subsequently loaned it to a friend of hers (how RUDE!) who "lost" it. Of course, I was extremely upset because I hadn't even worn it yet! I couldn't even ask my friend to replace it since Rehab was vhtf for me in the first place. Anyway, I was just recently able to get another bottle thanks to some incredible luck on eBay.

3 coats

Reunited and it feels so good, reunited 'cause we understood... Not gonna lie, I was totally singing that song while I painted my nails. The flash made this look a bit sheerer than it looks in real life, but if you have an aversion to VNL, underwear is must. I experienced some shrinkage with SV, but I don't care. I wore this for a solid week before I took it off. The wear was awesome - no chips whatsoever.

Needless to say, I'm never letting this one out of my sight again!

OPI Merry Midnight Giveaway Winner!

2011-05-14T14:10:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the slow turnaround. I've had a busy week!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered!! I used to Random.org to help select a winner:

The 32nd comment is Angie! Congrats! Please contact me (contact button ------>) within 48 hours to claim your prize. :)

OPI DS Design

2011-05-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

You'll have to excuse the lack of holo. I gave up trying to get sun pics after day 3 of grey skies!

3 coats

OPI DS Design is a very pretty nude holo, but I'm not sure I love it on me. I think I may prefer DS Classic. As usual, the formula was awesome and dried very quickly.

Illamasqua Jo'Mina

2011-05-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

2 coats

Whatever color you're seeing on your monitor is probably incorrect. Jo'Mina was so difficult to photograph! It's a very vibrant and richly colored purple cream that is less blue than my pic shows. The formula is awesome! It applies like a dream and was almost opaque in one coat. High five, Illa. :)

Jo'Mina is available on Sephora.com for $14.

Deborah Lippmann Girls Just Want To Have Fun

2011-04-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

3 coats

From the Summer 2011 collection, Girls Just Want To Have Fun is a stunning coral shade. It's right on the borderline of jelly and creme, very squishy. You may have noticed that I'm kind of a Lippmann hoor, but really, this is a GORGEOUS polish! The formula is perfection (lol, what's new?) and the dry time is faster than most.

P.Y.T, Girls Just Want To Have Fun, Daytripper

Girls Just Want To Have Fun is available at deborahlippmann.com.

China Glaze 108 Degrees

2011-04-27T08:30:00.001-05:00

2 coats

108 Degrees is a bright pink with fuchsia flecked shimmer. I feel like I have a lot of shades like this, so I wasn't super excited when I put it on. The formula is thin yet not runny. The brush on mine was super wonky, so I didn't have fun applying this!

T-B: 108 Degrees, Misa Summer Love, 108 Degrees. 3 coats each.

There are only subtle differences between Summer Love and 108 Degrees. Summer Love is a touch warmer, and the shimmer is larger. That's about it.

Not the most unique color but still a great choice for summer!

China Glaze He's Going in Circles

2011-04-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

I couldn't decide what kind of nail art to do for my Easter mani, so I gave up and just went with this:

3 coats

Holos always save the day. :)

China Glaze Electric Pineapple

2011-04-24T12:04:00.000-05:00

Here's a new shade from the China Glaze Island Escape collection. Since Electric Pineapple is the polish I was most excited about, of course it was the first I swatched!

3 coats

Electric Pineapple is a chartreuse-ish creme. I really like it! It's bright without being garish and doesn't make my hands look like trees, which is always a nice bonus. The formula was on the thin side, but it applied nicely and was opaque in three coats.

T-B: Electric Pineapple, OPI Fiercely Fiona, Electric Pineapple

I thought they may be dupes, but Electric Pineapple has much more green in than Fiercely Fiona. They're different enough to own both, especially if you like weird, yellow-green shades.

OPI I Juggle Men

2011-04-22T09:30:00.001-05:00

I Juggle Men, from OPI's Femme de Cirque collection, is a conundrum to me. It shrinks everything it touches!

Here it is over American Apparel Passport Blue. Are we seeing all that shrinkage?? That's just two coats of I Juggle Men. No Seche Vite or any other type of topcoat.

Here's IJM over So Many Clowns, So Little Time. Looks great, right? So far, the only way I can wear IJM is one coat over a polish. If I add a second coat, BAM! Shrinkage! What kind of polish shrinks itself?

Oh, and look at the hilarity that happens if you add Seche Vite on top:

The wrinkling is less noticeable with Barielle Manicure Extender (middle finger), but c'mon! Sure, IJM dries quickly and shiny, but it doesn't dry anything below it. I'm sooo not into sitting around for hours waiting for my polish to dry. I'd need some sort of quick dry topcoat over it, and that's clearly not an option. I'll stick to CND Sapphire Sparkle.

I've seen some manis with this that look perfectly fine. Any tips to wearing this successfully??

OPI Merry Midnight

2011-04-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

Guess what I found at a dusty! A beautiful, brand new bottle of Merry Midnight. Rather than hoard this and keep it as a second backup, I decided to share the wealth. It's stunning, really:

How to enter: all you need to do is be a follower and share a fun fact with me! It can be about yourself, the world, cute animals, etc. Entries will be accepted until May 6th. International entries are always welcome!

MAC Bad Fairy Giveaway Winner!

2011-04-21T11:07:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much to everyone who entered!! I used to Random.org to help select a winner:

The 36th comment is Cilucia! Congrats! Please contact me (contact button ------>) within 48 hours to claim your prize. :)

Next up is my backup of OPI Merry Midnight, so keep an eye out for that giveaway post tomorrow.

OPI Dulce de Leche

2011-04-18T13:08:00.000-05:00

I'm really loving my *close my eyes and grab* method of choosing a polish to wear. Today I grabbed Dulce de Leche from my OPI drawer.

2 coats

Dulce de Leche is a gorgeous pinky nude creme. This looks like the perfect base for a lace mani. *plots* The formula's great! It was completely opaque in two coats and applied perfectly.

Dulce de Leche is readily available wherever OPI is sold.

OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender

2011-04-17T11:00:00.001-05:00

I've been on shimmer/duochrome/holo overload for the last few weeks, so I just wanted something simple for today's mani. I closed my eyes and reached into my OPI drawer, and this is what I grabbed:

2 coats

Lucky Lucky Lavender is red-toned lavender creme. Mmm it's divine! Definitely a wonderful palette cleanser after all those crazy (crazy awesome) polishes I've been wearing. Lucky Lucky Lavender applied beautifully with no cleanup necessary. I also really love the finish.

Lucky Lucky Lavender was released with OPI's Spring 2010 Hong Kong collection, but I think it may be permanent? I'm basing this solely on the fact that there's a slot for it at Ulta, so I may be wrong. In any case, it's a great polish to own!

OPI Man of La Mancha

2011-04-14T14:30:00.002-05:00

The sun is not my friend today. I seriously waited until the last possible minute to leave for class, hoping the sun would show up. Of course 10 minutes into my drive, out comes the sun! So, today I have some phone pictures to share with you.

How gorgeous is this! This is one coat of Man of La Manch layered over Illamasqua Baptiste. It's very thin, so I'm not sure how many coats it would take for full opacity on its own.

Man of La Mancha is from the Holiday on Broadway 2003 collection. Despite its über discontinued status, it's still pretty affordable on eBay.

Misa Paradise Shore Summer 2011 Swatches and Review

2011-04-12T21:04:00.000-05:00

Misa Paradise Shore is the epitome of a Summer collection. Brightly colored and packed with shimmer. Sign me up!

2 coats

Endless Keys is a bright orange (tangerine?) with gold, flecked shimmer. Congrats, Misa. You made an orange I actually want to wear.

2 coats

What's that? Yeah, I'll wait a moment while you grab your sunglasses.

Krystal Water is a blinding teal shimmer. It glows like NO OTHER! Well, actually it glows like another polish in this collection.

3 coats

Accurately named, Mega Margarita is a cheery green with gold, flecked shimmer. This is what I was hoping BL Dosh would look like. So cute!

2 coats

Mermaid Dreams is an ocean blue shimmer. Like Krystal Water, it glows like crazy.

2 coats

Summer Love is a hot pink with fuchsia, flecked shimmer.

2 coats

Under My Sunbrella is a Sunny D yellow with gold, flecked shimmer.

The formula on these was generally great. The only one I had a problem with was Mermaid Dreams. It was thick and a little stringy. I will definitely have to add a few drops of thinner in this one. I also experienced a bit of bubbling on the flecked shimmers.

I love this collection! It makes me happy. The only shade I'm not happy with is Under My Sunbrella because it looks...gross. I have no idea who can wear it, but I definitely can't. Other than that, though, this is a collection I'm happy to have in my stash.

Stay tuned for comparisons!

My Texting Thumb

2011-04-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

I love my texting thumb. My texting thumb keeps me connected to the world. She comes in handy when I'm driving (at stop lights only!), and is always there for me when I need her. She always matches my phone because, well, they're a team:

Here, TT is sporting OPI Alpine Snow as a base with Essie Turquoise & Caicos, Lapis of Luxury, French Affair, and China Glaze Lemon Fizz sponged on top. Stamped on top is an image from Konad m57.

So yeah, I'm ~~kind of~~ definitely a dork.

OPI DS Original

2011-04-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

So, I found this at a dusty just a few days after I purchased one on eBay. Typical, eh? Although I don't mind too much because...

2 coats

DS Original is AMAZEBALLS!

Seriously, I have nothing else to say.

Listen, if you don't own this, you need to swap/dusty hunt/buy at a totally reasonable price/kill (jk) for this. K? Alright!

Hourglass Haul :)

2011-04-08T21:45:00.000-05:00

Exhibiton, Prism

Pulse, Eden

Annnnnd a little Hello Kitty

Swatches coming soon!

MAC Bad Fairy Giveaway

2011-04-06T16:30:00.002-05:00

Every now and then, I'm going to give away some polishes that I've backed up. With so many untrieds, it seems silly to have so many backups. First up is MAC Bad Fairy:

I don't love it on me, so there's absolutely no reason to keep a backup of this. If you missed out on this, now would be the perfect time to try your luck. :)

How to enter: all you need to do is be a follower and leave a nail related comment. Entries will be accepted until April 20th. International entries are welcome!

Essie Borrowed & Blue vs Hard Candy Sky

2011-04-04T22:13:00.000-05:00

The main difference between these two is the shimmer. Borrowed & Blue is a creme while Sky has a bright blue shimmer. Sky also looks a bit green when compared to B&B. I would say they're different enough to own both.

If you would be happy owning just one of these, go for Borrowed & Blue. The formula is awesome, and it's opaque in just two coats. Sky is tricky to apply and takes 3+ coats to even it out.

Top to bottom: B&B, Sky, B&B

2 coats of B&B and 3 coats of Sky

Essie Wedding Collection 2011

2011-04-04T11:05:00.000-05:00

Here are some swatches and comparisons of the shades from the collection. Since I own so many pale pinks, I skipped Better Together.

2 coats

Borrowed & Blue is a pale blue that isn't like any of the other pale blues released this season. I love how clean it looks. It was really easy to apply - no streaks or running. I thought it may be similar to Hard Candy Sky, so I did a quick bottle comp:

Look at how clean B&B looks next to Sky. So pretty. I didn't do a nail swatch comp, but I can do one if you'd like. I think they're different enough to own both.

3 coats

First Dance is a true red jelly. I love how shiny the finish is, and it was a dream to apply. I pulled two reds that I thought of when I first swatched First Dance, and this is what I came up with:

Top to bottom: Zoya Kristi, First Dance, China Glaze Salsa

First Dance and Kristi are jellys while Salsa is a creme. I don't see much difference between the shades, except Kristi is just a touch cooler and Salsa is richer in pigment.

3 coats

Made to Honor is a pinky nude jelly. It actually built up really nicely, which I didn't expect. I love this shade and don't own anything quite like it. Really, I couldn't even find something to compare it to. Of course, I might be forgetting something. Feel free to suggest a comp for this.

Is anyone else loving this collection as much as I am?

OPI Merry Midnight

2011-04-04T00:12:00.000-05:00

Now that I've swapped for a backup of this, I feel like I can wear it freely. Have you ever felt like that? I know I'll probably never get through my first bottle but am still hesitant to use a HTF frequently until I back it up. It's probably just me, though, since I'm such a crazy shopaholic. :)

2 coats, no flash

This probably goes without saying, but I love Merry Midnight! It's like the purple version of $OPI 212: there' s a little bit of everything in there.

w/ flash

American Apparel Mannequin

2011-03-31T10:12:00.000-05:00

1 coat

Gotta love those one-coater AAs! I was nervous to try Mannequin because I've heard so horror stories about the application, but I had no trouble at all. I guess it's a very YMMV (your mileage may vary) polish. It's gorgeous, though. I added Deborah Lippmann Bring on the Bling for a delicate shimmer and some flowers to really amp up the Springtime feel of this mani.

Haul-mageddon

2011-03-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted a haul in a while. I'd like to say it's because I haven't been shopping, but we know that's not the case. Anyway, here are the things I've picked up in the last month or so.

Let's start with the awesome RAOK's that my lovely friends H and L sent me:

Thanks, beauties!!

And then there's the rest:

ChG Dorothy Who, DV8, 2NITE, IDK, Milani Gems, Purple Gleam, Silver Dazzle

OPI Texas

ChG Atlantis, CND Gold Sparkle, Misa It's You, Dirty Sexy Money, Essie Kisses & Bises

Ruby Kisses, Butter London Bumster, Rosie Lee

ChG Crackle

Misa Spring 2011

Sula Blush, FB Boysenberry (holo glitter, yay!), Multi Red, Orly Sky Blue Pink, Royal Velvet, SOPI something and something else

Revlon Silver, Belle, Craving Coral, Rock, Midnight Affair

OPI Ulta V-day, OPI Texas

Wait. There's more!

Catherin Arleys....please ask if you'd like to know the shade numbers for any of these

OPI Oh So Glam, Dulce de LEche, Friar Friar Pants on Fire, No Spain No Gain, Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees. I also got Smitten with Mittens, which is already swatched.

SOPI Urban Ballerina Collection

CC Love em Leave em, Fashion Addict, Wild at Heart, Barielle Slate of Affairs, Ulta Smoke Screen, Pinyata-yada, Essie HAute Chocolate, ChG Sunset Sail

By the way, HUGE, GIGANTIC rave for CC's customer service! I emailed them about some dud shades I purchased, and they replaced them very promptly with the holo versions. So happy! It makes me want to go out and buy every Color Club ever.

Kleancolor Purple Disco, Vegas Night, Leaves Jingle, Barry M Racing Green, Dusky Mauve, Gosh Purple Heart

LA Splash Golden Seahorse, Tidal Wave, Aqua Fusion, Sparkling Stratosphere

The end! Feel free to point me in the direction of a no-buy support group, haha. :) If you'd like to see a swatch of something specific, I can bump it up on my swatch list.

OPI Mad as a Hatter vs. Fashion Bug Multi Red

2011-03-22T14:16:00.000-05:00

When I heard Fashion Bug had a dupe to OPI's coveted Mad as a Hatter, I scurried to their site to order a bottle. I'm not sure why hearing about a dupe makes me want it even more, but it really is fiscally irresponsible. On the bright side, now I can compare the two.

Multi Red, Mad as a Hatter

As you can see, they are not dead on dupes, but they are similar. Multi Red has more red, and the glitter looks slightly bigger than MaaH. From a distance, though, the difference is trivial. So, if you missed out on MaaH, perhaps Multi Red will satisfy your lemming.

Butter London Blagger

2011-03-19T07:39:00.000-05:00

2 coats

Blagger is such a gorgeous blue! The color is so rich and pigmented, and I got so many compliments when I wore it (plus!). It applied like a dream too. It a close competition between Blagger and Lady Muck for my favorite of the collection.

My Lippmann Family

2011-03-14T19:00:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share my little collection of Lippmanns. I've had a serious love affair with her polishes since my first purchase (Across the Universe) last September.

Bring on the Bling, Diamonds and Pearls, Satin Doll, Waking Up in Vegas, I Dreamed You, P.Y.T.

Daytripper, Lady Marmalade, Supermodel, Lady is a Tramp, Makin' Whoopee, Between the Sheets, Call Me Irresponsible

Purple Rain, Wicked Game, Bitches Brew, Dark Side of the Moon, Maneater, Don't Tell Mama

Glitter in the Air, Today was a Fairytale, Happy Birthday, Some Enchanted Evening, Superstar

Razzle Dazzle, Ruby Red Slippers, Bad Romance, Across the Universe, Lady Sings the Blues, Funky Chunky

Swatches

Lippmann polishes retail for $16-$20 and are available at deborahlippmann.com

Depend 170 + Deborah Lippmann Bring on the Bling

2011-03-10T22:21:00.000-06:00

1 coat of Bring on the Bling over 1 coat of 170

A beautiful friend of mine sent me a bunch of Depend polishes recently, and I love every single one of them to bits! 170 (oh how I wish they had names) is a dusty blue, which is right up my alley. It applied like a dream and is super pigmented! One coat gave me perfect coverage. I wore 170 on its own for a few days and then added Deborah Lippmann Bring on the Bling. BotB is such a stunning shimmer! It looks great over everything.

Depend is not available in the US, but maybe you can nudge a Nordic friend to snag a bottle for you. I hear they're very affordable. :)

Bring on the Bling is $20 retail and availabe at deborahlippmann.com

Butter London Lady Muck + Deborah Lippmann Glitter in the Air

2011-03-07T20:09:00.000-06:00

2 coats

Uhhh, can we say stunning? Lady Muck is a gorgeous pale blue-grey with a fine silver shimmer. I love that the shimmer doesn't hide in this one, unlike the other pale blues that have been release lately. It's totally out and proud, hehe. It applied very nicely, too. I haven't had much problem with my Butters. They're usually really easy to work with.

I layered Deborah Lippmann Glitter in the Air over it:

2 coats

Pretty, but Lady Muck is a star all on its own. Glitter in the Air has this beautiful blue microglitter that totally surprised me. It makes the polish even more interesting than I'd expected. I originally swatched Glitter in the Air on its own, but it just looks weird. I couldn't get to the bottle color after 4 coats, so I quit. Still, it's beautiful over tons of different shades. Swatches over Naked, its Spring buddy, coming soon.

Lady Muck isn't available on Butter London's site, but you can find it on Amazon for close to retail ($14).

Glitter in the Air is available on deborahlippmann.com for $18.

Katy Perry Giveaway Winner

2011-03-05T12:35:00.000-06:00

Now that I'm back from my school-related hiatus, I finally had time to add in the bonus entries from the contest and pick a winner. The winner is:

Congrats, Raechel! Please contact me to claim your prize.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Misa Pixie Princess

2011-02-22T10:08:00.000-06:00

2 coats

Pixie Princess is a peachy pink with silver and pink shimmer. Soft shades like this make me happy. It's soft and subtle, yet interesting. I'm totally in love with the shimmer:

Gorgeous, huh? It dries to a stain finish, but I added topcoat to speed up the drying process. The formula has some flaws. It's thick and a little hard to work with, but it shouldn't be to bad if you apply it in thins coats and wait a little bit in between coats. The Wishes collection has totally renewed my appreciation for soft shades.

Dr.'s Remedy Winter Wonder-Nails Swatches

2011-02-22T09:03:00.001-06:00

It's snowing, and I'm not feeling particularly Spring-y, so this is the perfect time to share some winter shades with you.

1 coat

Desire Dark Brown is, clearly, a dark brown creme. I love deep chocolate shades like this because anything lighter makes my hands look funny. It has awesome pigmentation, too. 1 coat was satisfactory in normal lighting, but of course, under the scrutiny of a bright light and macro setting, a couple bald spots showed up. Regardless, it's a gorgeous shade.

2 coats

Healing Heather Grey is a blue-toned grey creme. I really love this one. I think the coolness of it works well with my warm skin, which can't be said for all my grey creme. I have a lot of grey cremes, but I can't put my finger on which on this reminds me of. Not very unique, but still pretty.

1 coat

Revive Ruby Red is a red with orange shimmer. While the orange isn't very obvious on the nail, at the right angle you can catch a glimpse of it. I'm personally not a huge fan of red shimmers, but this might tickle your fancy if you are. Also, talk about crazy pigmented, huh? I don't often come across one coat shimmers.

There's a fourth shade in the collection, Nurture Nude Pink. I love that the names are ridiculously self-explanatory, lol.

The formula on these is great. I had not problems with application and dry time was actually quite speedy. I wore Desire Dark Brown for 4 days and experienced just a little bit of tip wear. Also, I didn't notice much of a smell from these. Typically when you open a bottle of polish, it's obvious you've just opened a bottle of polish. Not the case with these. Pretty cool.

Overall, the Winter Wonder-Nails shades aren't the most unique, and at $16 a bottle, you can definitely find cheaper dupes. They do have an awesome formula and great nail benefits that give them a leg up, though. It's up to you whether that justifies the cost of these.

This is a completely new polish brand to me, so I did a little research. Dr.'s Remedy takes Big 3 Free to the next level. Their polishes have garlic bulb extract (promotes nail growth), wheat protein (promotes nail moisture and strength), and other good for you ingredients. It's the first-ever nail polish approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association. High five, Dr.'s!

They've already released their Spring line, which has much more unique shades. Check out their website @ www.remedynails.com/

**products sent for review

China Glaze DV8

2011-02-21T07:00:00.002-06:00

2 coats

DV8 is a gorgeous teal holo that I never want to take off. Even though I haven't seen the sun in a few days, I still love looking at it. The right fluorescent light can pull out the holo as well. DV8 has one of the better formulas from the OMGs. Perfectly opaque in two coats, and I didn't have any application problems. I didn't even have to clean up! If you see this at your local dusty, do not hesitate to grab it.

P.S.: Thanks to everyone who entered my Katy Perry giveaway! I will work on adding the additional entries and announce the winner by this weekend.

Sephora Glittering Polish Red Ruby (PO6)

2011-02-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

2 coats

Ooo look at the glittery jelly goodness! I wish the bottles weren't so tiny...

American Apparel MacArthur Park

2011-02-15T19:32:00.000-06:00

1 coat

MacArthur Park is a mustard-ish pea soup-ish type shade. It's weird, and I like it. This, like most American Apparel shades, applied beautifully and was completely opaque in one coat. Awesome.

BB Couture Midnight Malibu

2011-02-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

2 coats

Midnight Malibu is a deep blue with multi-colored microglitter. It applied very well, but dried with some texture. I think I used two coats of Seche Vite to smooth this one out. Sooo gorgeous.

Milani Silver Dazzle

2011-02-14T22:56:00.001-06:00

2 coats

Silver dazzle is so awesome. It's like glamorous asphalt! I'd recommend applying these one coat glitters carefully so you only have to apply one coat. The second coat was a little tough to apply. Other than that, though, Silve Dazzle gets 5 stars, a cookie, and two thumbs up from me.

OPI Texas Collection Swatches (partial)

2011-02-05T08:50:00.000-06:00

I ended up with 2/3 of the Texas collection, which is a giant leap from the three I originally planned to get. Typical, eh? There's something about seeing the bottles in person that just makes me want one of everything. Words of a true addict. :)

I'll start with the jellies. Two coats of each.

Do You Think I'm Tex-y? Berry pink.

Guy Meets Gal-veston. Coral. This one is 3 coats.

Houston We Have a Purple. Red-toned purple. Totally reminds me of Miami Beet.

Too Hot Pink To Hold 'Em. Red-toned hot pink.

First of all, it kind of bugs me that OPI claims to have created this new, innovative finish called the "sorbet-like look." Really, OPI? They're jellies. Awesome jellies, but jellies just the same. Second, what an awkward term. Sorbet-like look? Even the chick in their promo video had a tough time saying it repeatedly. *gigantic eye roll*

Moving on...2 coats of each

Austin-tatious Turquoise. Teal with bright blue/violet flecked shimmer.

Don't Mess With OPI. Dusty green. It's a little more grassy than my picture.

I Vant To Be A-Lone Star. Yay, another pale blue for Spring. This one has a relatively obvious silver shimmer. It's definitely not as secretive as China Glaze Sea Spray's shimmer.

It's Totally Fort Worth It. Pearly grey with pink shimmer. The pink is visible on the nail, I just didn't capture it. The brushstrokes aren't as obvious once the polish is dry. I'm wearing this as a full mani now and will have better pictures soon.

A few of the colors are more interesting than I anticipated. I don't think any of these are must-haves for me. If you're a jelly lover, you should definitely check the pink/coral half of this collection.

MAC Bad Fairy

2011-02-04T20:36:00.000-06:00

3 coats

I've finally decided to try Bad Fairy. Despite my excitement for its release, I put it away as soon as I received it because it looked so orange in the bottle. I was almost certain it wouldn't suit me. It's not as bad as I feared, but I still don't see myself wearing this again.

Deborah Lippmann Razzle Razzle

2011-02-03T13:12:00.001-06:00

2 coats

I guess this is turning into a Lippmann week, eh? Razzle Dazzle is a gorgeous raspberry glitter. Love it! It definitely makes up for the disappointment of Lady Sings The Blues (more on that later). Luckily, Razzle Dazzle is now available for sale separately on deborahlippmann.com.

Deborah Lippmann Between The Sheets

2011-02-01T08:49:00.000-06:00

2 coats

Between The Sheets is a fuchsia creme. Before I became a polish junkie, shades like this were all I wore. I'm glad to have finally seen the light, but it's always nice to revisit colors I once loved dearly. I love DL cremes. They apply so nicely and are typically very pigmented. BTS is no different.

Deborah Lippmann Supermodel

2011-01-30T18:23:00.000-06:00

3 coats

Woah. Talk about bright! Supermodel is a super bright red-orange jelly. It totally makes me forget how much I hate orange polish. The formula is amazing, too. No streaks or running, and the dry time was lightning fast.

Illamasqua Phallic

2011-01-29T21:29:00.004-06:00

2 coats

Phallic is a gorgeous jewel-toned blue. It's one of those lit-from-within shades that I love dearly. I experienced a ridiculous amount of shrinkage with Seche Vite, though. So weird! I guess I have to try some other top coats with this one in the future.

Giveaway: OPI Katy Perry Collection

2011-01-29T08:30:00.001-06:00

As a thank you to my followers, I will give away a set of the OPI Katy Perry Collection. The collection includes:

Last Friday Night

Not Like The Movies

The One That Got Away

Teenage Dream

Black Shatter

Please use this form to enter. Entries in the comments will not be included because I will use the data from the form to randomly select the winner.

<p>Loading...</p>

Ends 19 Feb 2011

OPI Last Friday Night

2011-01-24T08:00:00.002-06:00

I'm all shattered out. All of the manis I've seen lately have involved Black Shatter, and I think it'll be a while before I wear it myself. Instead, I decided on Last Friday Night as my first OPI KP mani.

1 coat over 1 coat Illa Boosh

I love glitters like this over black. I think it's similar to Sinful Hottie, but my mind often makes colors seem a lot closer than they turn out to be. I'll dig it out of my stash and do a comparison to confirm. LFN was a bit thick, so I added a couple drops of thinner. The great thing, though, is that it is jam-packed with glitter! One coat is perfect for layering.

Zoya Intimate Collection Swatches

2011-01-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

Caitlin is a purple grey creme. This reminds me of something. I'll have to dig it out and do a comp soon.

Danni is a pinky purple shimmer with gold and red flecks.

Dove is a neutral dove grey. This is probably the least unique of the bunch, but it's still really pretty.

Gemma is an olive green with a violet flash. It looks really blue in my pic, but it's more violet, I promise.

Jules is a taupe with gold flecks.

Marley is a pale purple with silver hidden shimmer. The base seems to lean more grey than white, so it's not as garish as most pastels.

What a gorgeous collection! I love every single shade and will probably rotate these shades for the next couple weeks. I can't even pick a favorite. They're calming without being boring. Perfect for Spring.

The formula was great. I didn't experience any dragging or goopiness, and they were all opaque in two coats.

What are you loving/hating from this collection?

Deborah Lippmann Waking Up In Vegas

2011-01-18T10:41:00.000-06:00

2 coats

Lately, I've been on the hunt for the perfect greige polish. Out of the ones I've tried so far, Waking Up In Vegas comes closest. It pops just enough against my skintone, but it's still chic and subtle. Awesome!

The application and pigmentation was divine. I barely needed a second coat, but it glided on so smoothly and perfectly that I couldn't help it. The finish is not as shiny as most of here cremes. It dries to a semi-satin finish that I quite like, so I wore this with no topcoat. The dry time was faster than most. I wore this for 4 days before I experienced a tiny bit of chipping, which you can see on my middle nail. Not bad for no topcoat.

After 4 days, I was bored but didn't have time to do a new mani. Instead, I added Studio M Fast Play

1 coat

Fast Play is a light purple base with tons of gold/green duochrome glitter. It's gorgeous!

With Essie Matte About You

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-01-14T18:21:00.001-06:00

I was tagged for the Stylish Blogger Award by Cathryn and Lucy. Thanks!

The rules to this award:
1 - Thank and link back to the person that awarded you this award
2 - Share 7 things about yourself
3 - Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
4 - Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

I like Jesus. He's a cool cat.
I'm a musical theatre junkie! I love going to shows, collecting playbills, and I love performing. My favorite show that I've performed in is either Once On This Island or Aida. I had an awesome time working on both of them.
I love to read. Put a book in front of me, and I'll read it. I love all kinds of books, as long as I don't have to read it for school. There's something about mandatory reading that makes even the best books seem dull.
I love sushi.
I play WoW (World of Warcraft). Nope, I'm not ashamed. :]
I have a habit of starting craft projects and never finishing them. I have a ton of half-finished hats, sweaters, sketches, etc. They're going to be awesome....eventually!
I really, really, really dislike misinformation and usually have a compulsion to correct it. No, I'm not at all pedantic. I mostly dislike misinformation on a large scale that has the potential to confuse/misdirect several people.

I'm supposed to tag a bunch of people, but I'm sure most have been tagged already. If you haven't, post your blog link, and I will add it to this post.

Thanks again, Cathryn and Lucy!!

China Glaze Anchors Away Swatches

2011-01-12T08:00:00.002-06:00

When AA promos came out, I thought I wanted two, maybe three. They're so much prettier in person, though! I'm happy I didn't ignore these. All of these swatches are 2 coats with no topcoat.

Ahoy is a gorgeous pink jelly with gold glecks of shimmer. It's like Strawberry Fields' older sister. Looooove!

Below Deck is stunning and is currently my mani of choice. I only took one shot of this one because my camera battery was dying, so I'll try to take a better picture soon. It's so interesting. It's a Mushroomy taupe with a splash of somethin' somethin'.

I don't even want to talk about how awful this looks on me! Knotty is a stunner in the bottle, though.

Pelican Gray is a neutral grey with subtle shimmer. Soft and delicate.

Sea Spray is a pale blue that actually doesn't look disastrous on me. It's like the grey tones and fine silver shimmer that make this less garrish than a lot of pale blues. I want to layer Fairy Dust over this, asap.

Starboard is a grassy green that isn't as bright as my swatch implies. It has an almost dusty quality to it. I really like this one. All the cremes from the collection look so squishy. Love it.

This is one coat of White Cap over Pelican Gray. White Cap is a sheer white with a ton of gold flecks. It reminds me of Ulta Sugar Cookie but with a better formula. This one has some major glow-age.

I also picked up First Mate and Sunset Sail, but they were MIA when I was swatching. I will have pictures of those soon enough, though.

The formula on these was great. They are all super shiny without a topcoat, and I had no issuses with the application.

I'm happy with almost all of my choices. Seeing how great these look makes me want to go back for the two I skipped. This collection is definitely worth checking out!

Essie Dive Bar

2011-01-08T08:15:00.000-06:00

2 coats

Dive Bar is a gorgeous blackened teal shimmer. In the bottle, it has a really pretty purple flash, which is harder to see on the nail, but with the right light and angle, shows up very well. I loved wearing this and wore it for almost a week! Well, the fact that I was sick influenced my decision to keep this on as well, but it's still beautiful. :]

The formula is a bit runny, but it's manageable. The pigmentation is great, though! Based on the first coat, I thought this might be similar in pigmentation to Zoya Kotori, but the second coat proved me wrong.

This a retail-only shade, so you won't find Dive Bar in salons. The only place that has released the official retail collection so far is Walmart, but I'm sure it will show up in more stores soon.

Aha! I found you, purple!

After 4 days of wear

Giveaway Winners!

2011-01-08T08:00:00.002-06:00

Sorry I've been away for a few days. I have strep throat, and if you've ever had it, you know the first few days can be torture! I did spend some time working on the giveaway entries, though. Over 300 people entered, and after adding the bonus entries, there were over 700! I've past a couple milestones while this giveaway was active, so I picked a grand prize winner and two others as well.

The winner of my NYE giveaway is:

Lina. Congrats, I hope you achieve your goal this year!

The other two winners are: Kathleen and Silverstragirl. They will each receive a NARS blush and an OPI polish.

Please contact me asap so that I can ship your prizes.

Congratulations, winners! Thanks so much to everyone that entered, I wish I had a prize for every one of my followers! I am only a few followers away from 400, so I sense a giveaway coming up very soon. :]

American Apparel Haul

2011-01-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

I did a little hauling at American Apparel. I loved the polishes I got so much, I had to have more. All of the shades I have tried so far have a great formula and apply like a dream.

Mannequin, Echo Park, Mouse, Office, Trenchcoat

MacArthur Park, Army Jacket, Cameo Blue, Hunter, Raccoon (needs to be shaken)

Rouge, Downtown LA, Port

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Review

2011-01-03T08:00:00.001-06:00

Sally Hansen has created a variety nail strips, similar to Minx, that allow users to easily create salon-quality nail designs at home. The appliques are made of real polish and removed with polish remover. I picked up two sets:

Frock Star, Kitty Kitty

Each set comes with 16 nail strips, a nail file, a wooden cuticle stick, and detail instructions:

Price: $10 at Walgreens. Pretty pricey, considering how many manicures you can get with a bottle of polish. It's cheaper than a professional mani, but don't people pay for the service (shaping, cuticle care, etc) and not the polish? Most people bring their own polish, anyway. I don't think I like this price point.

Application: I had no problem applying these. They are very flexible, so they melded to the curvature of my nails very well and I had no issues with wrinkles or air bubbles. The problem I had was the fit of these. My cuticles are just not round enough for these. Cutting 10 nail strips to fit isn't my idea of fun. Plus, any hope I had of getting two manis out of one package was dashed once I realized how much adjusting I had to do.

Wear: I only wore this for two days, so I can't be the best judge of wear, but I didn't experience any chipping, tip wear, or peeling. I didn't use a top coat. I can't imagine these lasting a full 10 days with out at least some top coat, though. Maybe a week at the most.

TL;DR: Try these if you wear manis for a week+, suck at all things nail art, or need a quick mani for something special. Ignore these if you change your polish as often as I do.

Here are some pics of Frock Star, which looks practically identical to Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday:

Butter London Week: Mariner

2010-12-31T11:30:00.002-06:00

2 coats

Mariner is a very interesting color. I don't own anything quite like it. It's almost black, but there's a blue-green tint to it that adds some intrigue. The finish is also ultra shiny. If you're a fan of nearly black shades, this is a great one to have.

Sadly, this is the last swatch of Butter London week. I planned to swatch one more (Henley Regatta), but I have a pretty bad cut on my finger and it makes polish removal very painful and difficult. Instead, I will be posting a couple swatches I've been too lazy to edit for a while now. As soon as my finger gets better, I will start swatching my American Apparels.

Butter London Week: Marrow

2010-12-30T09:30:00.000-06:00

2 coats

This is my absolute favorite Butter London, so of course I had to include it in my swatch week. Marrow is a reddish purple with a fine silver shimmer. The application and pigmentation are flawless! The wear on this is great as well. I wore it for 3 days with no tip wear (wrapped tips) or chipping.

Butter London Week: The Full Monty

2010-12-29T08:00:00.001-06:00

2 coats

The Fully Monty is a gorgeous pale gold foil with extra, larger shimmer pieces to make it even more dazzling. It's a gold that will flatter most people because it isn't that icky, yellow gold that looks great on a total of...two people. The application was great! It was pretty much opaque with one coat, but I add a second coat to cover some mistakes I made during the first coat. Also, the finish is very smooth, contrary to my swatch of it. It was still wet, but it dries with absolutely no brush strokes. Love it!

Butter London Week: Minger

2010-12-28T11:25:00.000-06:00

3 coats

Minger is a pumpkin orange, and I don't totally hate it. Orange, like pale blues, and I don't often see eye to eye. Minger is not as ostentatious as some oranges, so I guess that's why it seems more wearable to me. The application was kind of a nightmare. Like Primrose Hill Picnic, it was runny and goopy. It was literally dripping off my nail (as you can see on my middle nail)! Total fail!

Don't write off this brand just yet. The rest of the BLs I have to show you have a MUCH better formula. Again, if there are any shades you would like to see, feel free to ask. If I own it, I'll swatch it.

Butter London Week: Primrose Hill Picnic

2010-12-27T08:00:00.002-06:00

2 coats

Primrose Hill Picnic is the perfect shade of pink for me. It's bright and happy without being obnoxiously so. Unfortunately, the formula makes me a sad panda. It was a little goopy and runny, and I got a couple bald patches with the second coat. It was just a quick swatch, so I didn't bother doing a third coat, but I'm sure that would have evened everything out. I will save my full judgement for when I do a proper mani with this.

Butter London Week: Chuffed

2010-12-26T09:46:00.000-06:00

Everyday this week I will be featuring a Butter London polish from my stash. First up is Chuffed:

3 coats

Chuffed is a sheer tangerine packed with silver shimmer. I layered it over Butter London Minger to show its true talent: layering. All of the jellies from this collection are awesome, but I especially like Chuffed over just about anything. It added the perfect amount of depth and shimmer.

If there are any BL polishes you'd like swatched, feel free to leave a request in the comments. If I have it, I'll post it this week. Also, request brands you'd like to see more of for future swatch weeks.

Wet n Wild Private Viewing

2010-12-22T12:16:00.000-06:00

2 coats

Such a pretty neutral! I love the way it looks with my skin tone. I think it has some secret shimmer, but I don't quit remember. The formula was surprisingly awesome, too! This is one of my go-to palette cleansers.

Essie Sag Harbor + Lippmann Today Was a Fairytale Gradient

2010-12-21T11:13:00.001-06:00

Sag Harbor is one of the few pale blues that looks good on me. I think it's because of the grey tones in it. Plus, adding Today Was a Fairytale over it deepened the color a tiny bit and made it even more flattering. I really wish I would've taken a better picture of this because it was so wintery and pretty in person. This picture was taken after a whole week of wear, and I only had some tipwear.

Giveaway extended

2010-12-20T12:22:00.000-06:00

My NYE giveaway is extended until the end of the month (12/31 at midnight). I just won't have any time to sift through all the entries until after the holidays, so I figured I would just give people more time to enter. Once the giveaway has ended, I'll use Random.org and the spreadsheet with the entries to pick a winner. The winner will be announced on or before January 10th.

China Glaze High Hopes

2010-12-17T14:40:00.000-06:00

2 coats

This is one of the only bright corals I like on me. It's not too orange and it's not too red. Yay!

OPI What's With The Cattitude

2010-12-16T14:17:00.001-06:00

My camera is being repaired, so the next few posts will feature some of my older manis. That means pre-cleanup pictures. I've pretty much broken the habit of taking pictures before cleanup...mostly.

2 coats

Oh jeez, when the Shrek collection came out, I was so flippin' excited. I love the whole Shrek franchise, and I loved that it was a collection of interesting colors. No pink or red! Unfortunately, I was not so happy with this one. I don't know what it is, but most blue lighter than midtone just look terrible on me! Ho hum. Anyway, I can't really comment on the formula because I don't remember.

Oh, and the cherry blossom accent is OPI Alpine Snow, Miami Beet, and Black Onyx

Sally Hansen Fireberry Red

2010-12-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

1 coat over 1 coat of SH Midnight In NY

Fireberry Red is a polish everyone should own. It's $2, it's awesome, and it's OPI Smitten With Mittens deeper sister. I flippin love it! It literally glows. I had no problems with application, but maybe I should save my judgment for when I use more than one coat of this. Also, Midnight In NY? Gorgeous black with a subtle multicolored shimmer. It looks like the night sky.

Gryffindor EOTD

2010-12-13T16:00:00.001-06:00

This is the look I wore to see HPDHP1. Once again, super late. :] I thought it looked a little Mcdonald's-esque, so I added MAC Reflects Blackened Red to add a little magic. I had no time to take more photos though. Anyway, here's the look:

I can't remember everything I used, but I know the gold is TMM Sunflower.

Orly Galaxy Girl

2010-12-13T08:00:00.002-06:00

1 coat over AA Mount Royal

Galaxy Girl is amazing! I love this so much more than Space Cadet, which does not look good on me at all. I especially love the pink flash in this. It's just so pretty! I think I needed 3 coats for opacity when I wore this alone, but one coat over underwear works just as well. Save that polish, guys and gals. The entire Cosmix collection was amazing. Great job, Orly!

American Apparel Mount Royal

2010-12-12T09:16:00.000-06:00

1 coat

Imagine this is a touch more purple and slightly deeper. Such a gorgeous color and it has a great formula too! This is my first time trying AA polish, and I'm glad I have tons more to try:

Now I just have to figure out which to try next. :]

SOPI Looks Like Rain, Dear

2010-12-11T13:15:00.000-06:00

2 coats

Golds and I don't often get along, but Looks Like Rain, Dear is actually a shade I would wear out of the house. I think it's because it's not that icky orange shade of gold. Plus, the holo glitter really makes it special. The finish is a little textured, but a top coat will fix that easily. So far, SOPI's holiday polishes have not disappointed me.

Franken: Cosmic Romance

2010-12-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've frankened anything, and it's been even longer since I've frankened anything I like. Well, I guess this is special because I want to put it over every polish I own! Of course, you may not love it if you're not a glitter hoor like I am.

The recipe is ridiculous and all over the place, but I did write it down. If you'd like the recipe, let me know. It's basically every blue or holo glitter I own with a couple drops of WnW Nocturnal to tint it. In the pictures, it's layered over DL Bad Romance, but it is now mixed into the franken. It looks even cooler, in my humble opinion. :D

And now, a bunch of pictures in different lighting:

Indoors, natural light

Indoors, sun/shade

Indoors, daylight bulb

Indoors, flash

Outdoors, sun, flash, blurred to show the bling!

Zoya's Free Spoon Friday!

2010-12-10T07:40:00.000-06:00

Today only, get 6 free (the spoons are free; the shipping's free) spoons of your choice and a $3 credit toward a future purchase. If there's any shades you've been wanting to try out, this is your chance!

Code: SP6
Zoya.com

"Like" Zoya on Facebook for 3 Free Polishes!

2010-12-09T11:20:00.000-06:00

If Zoya gets 20,000 likes by January 1st, they will provide a code for 3 free polishes. Awesome, huh? So, if you haven't "liked" Zoya yet, please do!

Zoya on Facebook

Butter London All Hail McQueen

2010-12-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

3 coats

Not gonna lie, I'm not a huge fan of this on me. It kind of makes my hands look icky. This looks great on so many people! I'm jealous. Anyway, this is a beige with holo shimmer. The application was great, and I think I could have stopped at two coats. I really should start writing these details down... :]

FYI: Butter London renamed this to All Hail The Queen. Probably for legal reasons. Either way, don't fret. It's the same shade.

Oi, if only it looked like this all the time.

Funky French

2010-12-07T08:00:00.002-06:00

To celebrate my return to square nails, I decided to do a funky french mani. I tried squoval and round, but I think square fits my nails best.

I used Butter London Marrow and a Color Club striper in Black Hologram for the tips. My top coat is Orly Love Each Other. If you enlarge the picture, you should be able to see the pretty purple shimmer.

NYE Giveaway!

2010-12-06T12:00:00.002-06:00

I have put together a set of items that would make the perfect New Year's Eve look:

Benefit Bad Gal Lash

China Glaze Cheers To You set

NARS Deep Throat

Rock & Republic Tyrant

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Vapor & Oil Slick

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Ends 12/31. This contest is open internationally.

Essie Going Incognito

2010-12-06T08:41:00.000-06:00

2 coats, Sinful Pearl Harbor accent

May I just say how much I love Gelous?? It makes my polishes wear like iron, no lie! This picture was taken after 4 days of wear. I normally don't keep my polish on that long, but I was feeling lazy. Anyway, about Going Incognito. It's a gorgeous deep emerald with a dusty quality to it. The formula is grrrrrreat! Almost a one coater and so shiny and smooth. Essie Winter as a whole was just a total surprise love for me.

OPI Ulta Exclusives 2010

2010-12-05T08:00:00.003-06:00

I love OPI Ulta exclusives. Usually, they're super pretty and easy to find since I have a ton of Ultas nearby. Last year's holiday Ulta exclusives were absolutely gorgeous. OPI went with the same color scheme for this year.

2 coats

All The Berry Best is a berry red with gold pearl. The gold doesn't really translate to the nail, but it adds a nice depth to the polish. I like it better than last year's Dreaming of Red. Come to think of it, that's still untried...oops!

2 coats

Gift Of Gold is a super dense gold and copper glitter in a clear base. It's thiiiick! Maybe a couple drops of thinner may help? Maybe. Anyway, I was hoping for something as good as/better than Dazzled By Gold, but no dice. It's still pretty, though. This is similar to the Burlesque glitter.

2 coats

Plum Full Of Cheer is a deep plum with gold pearl. Again, the gold doesn't translate, but adds depth. This totally reminds me of Zoya Valerie with a different finish. That's probably why I love it so much. I love purples, so it's not surprise this is my favorite. Visions of Sugarplum was my favorite of the three last year, too!

Overall, I'm pleased with this set. They're worth having if you don't have anything similar yet.

OPI's are buy 2 get 1 free right now, so you could get all three of these for a great price. If you don't have an Ulta near you, these are definitely not worth taking a road trip! Ask a friend or swap for them.

Christmas Mani

2010-12-04T07:44:00.000-06:00

I'm going to a holiday party tonight, so I figured now would be the perfect time to break out my holiday glitters. This is 2 coats of Essie Marshmallow, 2 coats of China Glaze Party Hearty, and 2 coats of $OPI Flurry Up. I did my base coat (Barielle hydrating Ridge Filler + Gelous) and coats of Marshmallow yesterday so that I wouldn't have to wait forever for all the coats to dry.

It's so fun! I tried to capture how blingy it is, but I got super blurry instead. I think I confused my camera with this one.

Yay!

Giveaway winner!

2010-12-03T11:41:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Joann, who is the randomly selected winner of Deborah Lippmann Across The Universe! Thanks to everyone that entered. Stay tuned for my giveaway, which will be posted in just a few days.

Deborah Lippmann Lady Marmalade

2010-12-02T08:30:00.000-06:00

3 coats

I know it's December, but I really needed a bright, pretty pink polish to rekindle my love of pinks. Lady Marmalade totally kicked my distaste for pinks! It's a bright pink with orange and coral shimmer flecks. It's absolutely stunning in the sun.

Gryffindor Mani

2010-12-01T16:00:00.001-06:00

I topped my mani with a coat of China Glaze Fairy Dust. It needed a little magic.

Giveaway Closed!

2010-12-01T00:00:00.001-06:00

Thanks for entering my Deborah Lippmann giveaway! The winner will be announced in three days.

Butter London Saucy Jack

2010-11-30T17:00:00.000-06:00

3 coats

Saucy Jack is a blood red (it's a bit darker in person) jelly. I absolutely love it! The application was so breezy, I barely had to do any cleaning up. This is definitely a red I can see myself wearing again.

Barielle Elle's Spell

2010-11-30T08:30:00.003-06:00

3 coats, 1 coat over AA Hassid

Ulta finally stocked Elle's Spell! It's a gorgeous red jelly with red/orange flaky glitter. I knew it would look great over black, so I did a nail with that combo. It really helps the glitter stand out.

Ulta Pro Empty Stocking

2010-11-29T10:30:00.001-06:00

2 coats

This is part of the Wicked Wonderland Set. It's a deep purple with violet and blue shimmer.

Color Club Enchanted Holiday

2010-11-29T08:00:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to share some quick swatches of this adorable mini set from Color Club!

3 coats

Super thick and goopy! I did not like applying this at all. I think I'll add a little thinner. I love the color, though. Totally Winter.

2 coats

Stunning. I need more golds in my life.

3 coats

So bright and happy! This is my favorite from the set.

2 coats

So pretty, but it'll need top coat to look smooth. No biggie.

The formula on these (minus Snowflakes) was nice. I would definitely recommend this set if you're a fan of glitters and fun colors. They're all wearable year round, too.

Too Faced Loves Ulta Set (Enchanted Nail Collection) Review

2010-11-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

I was going to skip this because the colors looked really similar and boring, but they have really pretty shimmer that I thought would look interesting layered. Unfortunately, it's the same exact shimmer in every polish, so they all look super similar over black. Oh well. I like them best over black, but the look the most distinguishable over white or alone.

They were all thick and a little streaky on the first coat, but it's nothing insurmountable if you like the colors.

All the polishes were swatched over (l-r): OPI Alpine Snow, nothing, AA Hassid

My favorite of the bunch. I absolutely love it over black! I can see this looking good over tons of different shades; especially blues and greens.

I love what the shimmer does to this bright pink. The shimmer pretty much saves this from being a dud. Spice Drop looks best on its own, in my opinion.

I really want to put this over Zoya Erika for some reason. Hopefully it's as awesome a combo as it is in my head. Anyway, this was kind of meh for me. Eek, when did I develop an aversion to pinks??

Sugar Plum is my second favorite. It looks so bright and fresh! I'd wear this over anything.

Overall, this set is not a must have, but a pretty decent buy if you like a couple of the shades. I do wish that they'd included a green or blue in place of the clear top coat because really, who uses these?? Anyway, I would definitely buy full sizes of Sugar Cookie and Sugar Plum.