War Paint

An Explanation.

2011-01-08T14:48:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to formulate this post for a while now. I felt I owed all of you an explanation as to why I basically just dropped off the face of the blogging world.

I'm going to be straight with you. Blogging became a chore. I wasn't having fun anymore, and I couldn't help but compare myself to the bloggers who post at least once every day. I saw how, in the great scheme of things, my blog was pretty insignificant. At first, I didn't really care. I had fun blogging! But then I was scrambling to make a post every day or at least three times a week, and it was wearing me out. I had school, I had a social life, I had other interests.

Now, that's not to say I will never return to blogging. I might, someday. But for now, I'm taking a step back. I've met some amazing people while blogging, and I hope I can still keep in contact with them, but I've even been absent on twitter for over a month now.

Nail polish was becoming repetitive and dull, too. I would walk into a store and see the new polish and think, "I have that at home." Nothing was grabbing me anymore. Nothing was interesting. I mean, sure, there were a few gems in the past few months (OPI Burlesque and China Glaze Awakening come to mind), but mostly I just wasn't interested.

I feel bad about doing this, because, in a way, it feels like I'm betraying the blogging world. But why should I do something like this when it isn't fun for me anymore? I started this blog as a fun little expedition to do to take my mind off of school for a while. But that's just not the case anymore.

I hope you're all doing well, and hopefully I'll be back to blogging someday, even if I'm not blogging about nail polish.

- Jean

I'm still alive, I swear!

2010-09-22T16:43:00.000-05:00

Hey, all! I'm so, so sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been so busy with my classes this semester, that I haven't had proper time to just sit down and blog.

Also, school has gotten in the way of having good manis lately. I mean, sure, my nails are polished. But they look pretty horrible and I have been so exhausted by Thursday that I forget to take pictures, and then the polish starts chipping. These excuses are horrible, but they're the truth. Once I get a routine down for this semester, you'll be seeing more polish-related posts from me again!

In the meantime, I'll probably post a few BPAL reviews every now and then. Maybe some bath and body products, too.

I'm so sorry, guys! I'll get back into the swing of things soon, hopefully. :)

And remember: if you do miss hearing from me that much (ha!) you can read my ramblings and complaints over on twitter. There's a link in the sidebar to my twitter account.

P.S. The blog sale is still going on!

A plethora of BPAL reviews!

2010-08-17T14:27:00.003-05:00

I think it's fairly safe to say I have wholeheartedly hopped onto the BPAL train, and won't be getting off for quite some time.

Now, if you don't know what BPAL is, I'll do my best to explain. Black Phoenix Alchemy lab is based out of California, and specializes in handmade perfume oil blends. They have hundreds upon hundreds of scents, ranging from floral to foodie to earthy, and everything in between! (I'm finding I'm mostly drawn to their scents that include berry, red musk, or dragon's blood.) They offer $4 samples (called imps) of most of their general catalogue scents, or you can buy a pack of six for $22. This is a great way to try out what they have to offer. Most general catalogue 5 ml bottles are $17.50, though some are a bit more expensive in the more specialized sections of the site. Limited edition scents are $20, but again, sometimes they are more expensive.

Anyway, onto my reviews! I've posted these over on the bpal.org forums, but I thought I'd post them here, too, so that those of you who are new to BPAL can see them.

Maiden
Lab description: A gentle vision of purity, goodness and virtue: white tea, carnation and Damask Rose.

In imp: Herbal, slightly rosy

On skin, wet: Hello, carnation!

On skin, drying: Soft, slightly powdery rose with carnation. Oh dear..it's turned to baby powder. Major baby powder.

On skin, completely dry: It's turned back to being a bit rosy, albeit a very powdery rose. I really am not getting any white tea, though. It does have a teensy bit of spiciness to it, which I assume is due to the carnation. The spiciness of the carnation does sort of stick in my nose and my throat and bothers my eyes a bit. So that's kind of unpleasant. I get the same effect whenever sniffing real carnations, so I think I just have issues with carnations, ha.

Overall thoughts: It really doesn't have any throw at all..which I don't really mind. Honestly, I just don't think Maiden is my style. It also doesn't last too terribly long on me, either. I'm sure I know someone who will absolutely love it, though!

The Unicorn
Lab description: A misty, almost luminous perfume: wispy linden blossoms, white flowers, and a touch of sweet herbs.

This is the first BPAL I ever tried, so it holds a special place in my heart. I've used up my imp, but I do have a bottle on its way to me. I'm going to attempt to do this review from memory! I'll update it if I have a different opinion once I get my bottle, but I doubt I will.

In the imp: very medicinal, with a hint of white blossoms of some sort. Not sure exactly which white blossoms, but I know they are white, ha. I assume they could be the linden blossoms.

On the skin, wet: It's a very sweet herbal scent, but the herbs meld perfectly with the white flowers.

On the skin, dry: Pretty much the same. Very herbal, slightly medicinal, but soft. I absolutely love it.

Conclusion: Well, obviously I've already stated how I feel about this scent: it's worthy of a full bottle. It's such a beautiful scent that I feel is feminine, but cold and mysterious. I have a copy of Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn sitting next to me, and this scent perfectly matches the Unicorn in this story. It's absolutely gorgeous.

Blood Lotus

Lab description: Lush, velvet-red blooms born from the blood shed in the eternal battle between Set and Horus the Avenger. Inspired by Tammy Roth.

I honestly did not expect to like this one. At all. I ordered it on a whim, before I even read reviews. Stupid, I know! And then I did start reading reviews, and I was terrified due to all the comments about it smelling like bubblegum! Anyway, when I got it, it was the first one I picked out of the box to try, due to its gorgeous red amber color. Upon first sniff, I was a bit scared. It smelled like spicy cherry cough drops! I proceeded with caution, though, and dabbed a bit on my wrists. And then proceeded to swoon due to the beauty of this scent. It does start off quite sweet, with almost a syrupy cherry note. This quickly mellows out, though, and turns into the perfect sweet, slightly fruity dragon's blood, with no bubblegum in sight! No cloying florals, either, which is excellent. My skin sure does love this scent, though, because it disappears on me after about an hour and a half.

Dragon's blood is such a comforting scent for me, and this particular version reminds me of backstage in high school. During one of our productions, we needed incense, so one of the cast members brought in some beautiful dragon's blood incense. After it started burning, there were usually at least five of us hovering around it, inhaling the warm scent. Ah, nostalgia!

Full bottle purchase for sure.

ETA: That day that it only lasted an hour and a half must have been a fluke, because I wore it today (during and after writing this review) and it lasted at least four hours. Hooray!

Eclipse

Lab description: All the glory, warmth and majesty of the sun -- darkened. A delicious blend of bitter almond, vanilla, frankincense and heliotrope, with a drop of cinnamon.

In the imp, this was like, "WHAM! ALMOND!" Seriously, it smelled identical to very strong almond extract. It scared me a little bit, haha.

I finally got up the courage to try it out, though, and it wasn't nearly as scary as I originally thought. It starts out as pure almond, like in the imp, but then starts settling down. What does it settle down into, you ask? Juicy Fruit. The gum. Yeah.. Also it burned a little. Not enough to cause any redness on my skin, but enough so that I noticed the sensation and thought I'd better go look in a mirror to make sure my skin wasn't burning.

But then! After about five or so more minutes it changes into a perfectly lovely soft, slightly floral cinnamon, and the burning is gone. It's very feminine, and very "not me."

It was nice, though, and I think it'll work well for a bedtime scent. It's not good enough to buy a whole bottle, though.

Incubus
Lab description: Spectral white musk and the heart-stopping chill of sheared mint, fanned by caramel-touched body heat, and the diabolical sensuality of black musk, nicotiana, and sage.

In the imp, it smells very strongly of caramel, but with a little edge to it. I assume this is probably due to the other components in this oil.

On my skin, it stays very true to the scent in the imp for most of the time. Sticky caramel smoothed out by nicotiana and the musks, but with a little bite from the mint. I think the sage is mingling with everything, as well.

This scent is..it's just wow. It's smooth and creamy and slightly foody, but dark and oh-so-sexy. It's like Beth (the genius behind BPAL) bottled up a really, really good-smelling man. One you don't probably shouldn't meet in a dark alley. But in the end, you do anyway, because he's just so smolderingly attractive.

Ironically, I find this works really well as a bedtime scent. And I think it will also be perfect for winter months, when it's cold out and I need something very warm to keep me sane.

One more thing to note: This scent lasts for HOURS. Seriously. I put it on around noon, and I was still catching whiffs of faint, smoky caramel at around 10 PM that night. I may need to get a bottle of this at some point.

Berry Moon
Lab description: A golden summer musk with warm fig, orange blossom honey, sweet blueberries, and bright velvety crimson raspberries.

In the imp, it's a slightly musky berry with a hint of honey and a bit of smokiness, I assume from the fig. I like!

Wet, the blueberry is coming to the forefront, and I can smell a bit more of the honey now.

Dry, it's just magical. It's as if I'm lying in the middle of a meadow, with the sun beating down. I'm surrounded by bushes upon bushes of berries, all warm and ripe from the sun. The berries are mingling perfectly with the fig and the honey, and it's just so beautiful.

I'm so happy I was able to locate a bottle of this to purchase. It's like summer in a bottle, and it will help to get me through those cabin fever stages of winter.

All of these scents except for Berry Moon are available as general catalogue scents. I know the BPAL website is a bit daunting, but I really do encourage you to just browse a little bit one day. There really is something for everyone there. You may purchase imps and 5 ml bottles of these scents, and hundreds more, at http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/. If you are planning on making an order, though, I'd wait a few days. Their new Lunacy scent (A new one is released every month for the full moon) should be up soon, and those always sound great! Also, the Halloween update went up a few days ago, and those all sound amazing, as well.

Let me know if you want to see more BPAL reviews. My collection is growing rapidly, and I've got quite a few more scents that I could review! I know for sure I'll be putting those reviews up at the BPAL forum, but, again, if you'd like to continue seeing them here, let me know.

All images via Google. All scent descriptions and names belong to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.

Tag: Happy 101 (Sweet Friends)

2010-08-15T23:07:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much Zara for tagging me!

Here are the rules:

Post who gave you this award
State 10 things you like
Give this to 10 other bloggers and notify them with a comment

10 Things I Like:

Perfume, specifically BPAL (Yeah, I'm addicted. :P)
Obviously nail polish, haha.
My pets (2 dogs, 3 cats, 1 turtle, 1 hedgehog. It's sometimes a zoo, but I love it!)
Books. Any and all kinds! I read all the time.
Writing. I love writing. I guess I'm not an English major with a focus in Creative Writing for nothing, haha.
AUTUMN. Oh my goodness. I love autumn so much. Sweaters, boots, tights, Halloween!!, changing leaves, the smells, colder weather..Ahhhh. So amazing!
Traveling, specifically road trips. I hate flying, but I really love riding in a car, through places you'd normally never visit.
Vintage shops and used bookstores. There's just something about them..
My friends and family. I honestly don't know where I'd be without them.
Movies, specifically ones by M. Night Shyamalan or Sofia Coppola. Really, though, I love most genres! Thrillers, cheesy horror movies, romantic comedies, drama, fantasy, sci-fi..

Who do I tag? Why, all of you of course! If you read this, consider yourself tagged. :D

OPI Pamplona Purple and Nfu-Oh #56

2010-08-10T21:05:00.002-05:00

I didn't post my last mani with Nfu-Oh #56, mainly because I was house-sitting at the time and did not have access to my uploader cord until after I got back, and by then the mani was a chiptastic mess.

Anyway! So the other night I put on Pamplona Purple, which I lemmed for a while and then found in a tiny salon in town. Now..I hate to say it, but I just don't think Pamplona Purple loves me the way I love it. It's such a gorgeous purple, but it makes my skintone go all crazy.

I so did not want to completely redo my nails, though, so I slapped on a layer of Nfu-Oh #56, and oh my goodness. Match made in nail polish heaven, if I do say so myself! I totally feel ready for Halloween with this slightly witchy combination, but I don't care! Mainly because I love Halloween, but also because this combo is just so awesome. The Nfu-Oh turned Pamplona Purple into this crazy browish purple bruise color. Love!

I really wish I could have gotten some sunlight pictures of this mani, though! Those would have been pretty amazing.

Needless to say, I think I need to get more Nfu-Ohs.

ETA: I forgot to mention, Nfu-Oh has my favorite brush/handle combination ever. The handle is really long and curvy, because, you know, corset. This means I can hold it kind of like a pencil, which makes for really precise polishing.

OPI Cuckoo For This Color

2010-07-31T13:08:00.000-05:00

This is one of the newest offerings from OPI, part of the Fall 2010 Swiss collection. I think it's gorgeous! It's a vampy green with definite teal undertones and packed full of blue-based teal shimmer.

This polish, despite a little tipwear, is really wearing great. No chips and I'm on the..third day already? Yes, I think that's right. I know a lot of people are saying this polish is pretty dupeable, but I know I don't have anything like it in my stash. Well, okay, that's not entirely true. I do have Zoya Suvi. HOWEVER. Suvi is much, much more green. If they were trees, Cuckoo For This Color would be a blue fir and Suvi would be an evergreen. Same family, but noticeably different.

In other news, my nails are growing quite well! I've been keeping them polished, and trying to take really good care of them. However, I think I need to find a new base coat. I just don't think my Zoya Anchor is doing much for me anymore. I know I've heard a lot of talk about Gelous lately, but I'm kind of confused about what it is, exactly. I know it's a base coat, but does it make your nails really thick, like you have gels on? If it does, I definitely do not want that. Do any of you have suggestions for a good (easily accessible) base coat?

Zoya Posh with Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure and China Glaze Matte Magic

2010-07-29T10:00:00.001-05:00

Ohhh man. This was such a gorgeous manicure to wear. I know most of you are probably tired of seeing Hidden Treasure manis, but I haven't posted one yet! For this, I applied one coat of Posh and let it dry completely. Then I applied one slightly thick coat of Hidden Treasure, and also let that dry completely. Then I applied a thin coat of Matte Magic.

I really love the end result. It reminded me of red jasper, which is one of my favorite semi-precious stones.

So pretty. I love all the different facets of color in Hidden Treasure. It goes from green to orange to gold, and is sometimes all three at once. I really need to get my hands on more flakies. Or I guess I should say I really need to get more flakies on my hands, haha.

Diamond Cosmetics Amethyst & Diamonds

2010-07-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

So, so, so gorgeous. I really don't know why I've waited so long to try this! It's a very pretty grape purple with holo glitter. I decided to stamp a butterfly on my ring fingers using a mixture of China Glaze Ruby Pumps and L'Oreal Lady Luck.

Please click to enlarge this picture so you can see the beautiful holo sparkles. I wish I would have gotten more pictures of this polish! So pretty.

OPI You're A Doll!

2010-07-27T10:00:00.003-05:00

This polish is perfection. If I had to pick only five polishes to wear for the rest of my life, this would definitely be one of them. Thank goodness I don't have to be limited like that, though! I'd probably go crazy, haha. I don't think I could ever pick just five polishes!

You're A Doll! is such an interesting color. It's a weird taupey lavender pink creme that sometimes leans gray. Oh, and it has strange red flecks in it. Odd, right? But it's so pretty!

I definitely encourage you to enlarge the pictures to see the fantastic red flecks.

So, tell me, what are some of your Desert Island Top 5 Polishes? (Honestly, though, who could ever wear only five polishes? Crazy!)

Clinique Black Honey Velvet

2010-07-26T15:56:00.000-05:00

Hello, all! I know I've been AWOL for a little while, sorry about that! I so did not mean to not post for so long.

This was a request from KarenD. I just wish my nails weren't so wonky looking in these pictures! The color is accurate, though. I really need to remember to NOT use old topcoat on jelly polishes, or, really, any polish at all. It makes the finish of the polish look horrible and scuffed and just plain bad. Also, oy! I'm so sorry for the crazy tipwear. I couldn't find my camera charger, so I couldn't take pictures. But then I found it! But I'd already been wearing the polish for a few days. :\ Enough excuses, though! Onto the pictures!

I love this polish. It's a great vampy berry red that would be perfect for fall. It does sometimes seem to have slightly chocolatey undertones, but for the most part, it's a true vampy berry.

I'm not quite sure when Clinique released this polish, but I do know they don't make it anymore and that when they did make it, it was a limited release and only in minis. (I could be wrong about that, though. This is just what I've found from various Google searches.) I bought my bottles on ebay, and ebay's the only place I've ever seen this polish for sale. I just checked, and there's currently one bottle for sale at the time of writing this post. Honestly, though, this color is pretty dupeable and there are many other polishes out there with better formula, too. Because the formula on this was..eh. It was okay. Not the best, but not the worst, either. This is three coats.

Nail Polish Stash: Part Seven

2010-07-14T10:00:00.003-05:00

Click here for the rest of the series.

Taken from Part One: I recently decided to reorganize my polish, since I no longer know how many I own, what colors I own, etc. So, in a way, this series of posts is to help keep me organized. But it's also for you all! If you see anything in these posts that you want to see more of, let me know, and I'll swatch it for you. :] (EDIT: Some photos are clickable, some aren't. I'm not really sure why this is happening, and I've tried to fix it, but nothing seems to work. Sorry!)

Dark Blue

Note: This picture is horrible. I really, sincerely apologize. I did my best to color-correct it, though, so the polishes should be accurate, for the most part.

Essie Aruba Blue, Sonia Kashuk Space Cadet, Nina Ultra Pro Sailor, Sephora Brand Blue Sapphire, MAC Blue India, Finger Paints Cobalt Cardigan, Zoya Kotori, Revlon Midnight Affair, Covergirl Midnight Magic

Medium Blue

Color Club Pure Energy, OPI Sea, I Told You!, NYC East Village, China Glaze Frostbite, OPI Absolutely Alice

Light Blue

OPI Give Me the Moon!, Color Club Take Me To Your Chateau, No Miss Boynton Beach Blue, China Glaze For Audrey, Zoya Yummy, China Glaze Rainstorm

The Ones I Accidentally Forgot

Oops! I left these out when I was taking pictures, and I really, reeeeally didn't want to go back and retake pictures, ha. So they get a separate picture!

Charlotte Russe unnamed magenta, Milani Garnet Gems, Orly Tiara

And that's everything! So, what's my grand total, you ask? 215 polishes! Whoa. That's quite a bit, eh? I honestly thought it'd be much more than that, though, but I guess I forgot to take into consideration the fact that I recently gave away/got rid of at least 20 polishes.

Anyway! Again, if you saw something you liked and want to see a better image of it, just let me know and I'll swatch it for you.

Nail Polish Stash: Part Six

2010-07-13T10:00:00.005-05:00

Click here for the rest of the series.

Taken from Part One: I recently decided to reorganize my polish, since I no longer know how many I own, what colors I own, etc. So, in a way, this series of posts is to help keep me organized. But it's also for you all! If you see anything in these posts that you want to see more of, let me know, and I'll swatch it for you. :] (EDIT: Some photos are clickable, some aren't. I'm not really sure why this is happening, and I've tried to fix it, but nothing seems to work. Sorry!)

Yellow-based Orange Creme

China Glaze Sun Worshipper, Finger Paints Orange Kick, Sally Hansen Sun Kissed, Color Club Oh Naturale (this is actually a peach, but I guess, technically, that's an orange color? Haha)

Red-based Orange Creme

China Glaze Thataway, China Glaze Japanese Koi, Revlon Mad About Mango, Sephora by OPI Brainiac, Milani Juicy Glo, OPI A Good Mandarin is Hard to Find, Essie Tart Deco

Orange Shimmer/Glitter

China Glaze Dreamsicle, NYC Sun Goddess, Revlon Amber Ablaze, Zoya Kaufda, Color Club Tangerine Scream (neon, so much brighter in real life), Color Club Turn the Other Chic, Zoya Gwin

Coral

OPI Bright Lights-Big Color, Orly OMG, Essie California Coral, China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy, Rimmel Sunny Side, Color Club Hot Couture (which is actually more of a pink glitter than a coral)

Yellow

(Sidenote: How do I only have 3 yellows? Crazy!)

OPI Banana Bandanna, Diamond Cosmetics Lemon Yellow Zest, Color Club Volt of Light

Nail Polish Stash: Part Five

2010-07-12T10:00:00.004-05:00

Click here for the rest of the series.

Taken from Part One: I recently decided to reorganize my polish, since I no longer know how many I own, what colors I own, etc. So, in a way, this series of posts is to help keep me organized. But it's also for you all! If you see anything in these posts that you want to see more of, let me know, and I'll swatch it for you. :] (EDIT: Some photos are clickable, some aren't. I'm not really sure why this is happening, and I've tried to fix it, but nothing seems to work. Sorry!)

Dark Green

OPI Jade Is the New Black, Sally Hansen Jumpin' Jade, Orly Enchanted Forest, Zoya Suvi, Zoya Envy, Sephora by OPI Dark Room, China Glaze Wagon Trail (which is not really black, I swear)

Medium Green

Nfu-Oh #56, Finger Paints Sketch N Etch, Rimmel Camouflage, Zoya Irene, Milani Key Lime Shine (which is too light to be in this lineup, but whatever)

Bright Green

Sinful Colors Irish Green, Color Club What A Shock!, Sinful Colors Green Ocean, Zoya Midori, China Glaze Entourage, Sally Hansen Grass Slipper, Milani Totally 80's, Milani Hi-Tech

Mint Green

Sinful Colors Mint Apple, Sally Hansen Lime Lights, Essie Mint Candy Apple, OPI Damone Roberts 1968, Revlon Minted, L.A. Colors Green Satin

Teal

China Glaze Watermelon Rind, Nina Ultra Pro Velvet Seas, China Glaze Atlantis, Diamond Cosmetics Don't Teal My Heart Away, Icing Marine Blue, Zoya Akyra

I've noticed that I have a serious lack of olive greens. As in: I have none. I really should try to remedy this, haha.

Nail Polish Stash: Part Four

2010-07-11T10:00:00.004-05:00

Click here for the rest of the series.

Taken from Part One: I recently decided to reorganize my polish, since I no longer know how many I own, what colors I own, etc. So, in a way, this series of posts is to help keep me organized. But it's also for you all! If you see anything in these posts that you want to see more of, let me know, and I'll swatch it for you. :] (EDIT: Some photos are clickable, some aren't. I'm not really sure why this is happening, and I've tried to fix it, but nothing seems to work. Sorry!)

Dark Purple

Zoya Savita, Zoya Yasmeen, OPI Ink, OPI Meet Me On the Star Ferry (which is much darker and more, you know, purple in real life), Rimmel Deliciously Dark, Zoya Mimi, Sinful Colors Daddy's Girl, OPI Merry Midnight, NARS Tokaido Express

Medium Purple

Diamond Cosmetics Amethyst and Diamonds, Rimmel Climax, China Glaze Grape Pop, Nina Ultra Pro Purple X-ing, OPI Pamplona Purple, CQ 151, China Glaze Flying Dragon

Light Purple

OPI You're A Doll! (which is actually sort of pinky-purple), Icing Lilly, Essie Lilacism, Revlon Gum Drop, Zoya Zara, Covergirl Luxe Lilac, Orly Cashmere Cardigan (more of a periwinkle), Revlon Not So Blue-berry (also more of a periwinkle)

Purple with Blue Flash

Sally Hansen Grape Going!, China Glaze Reggae to Riches, Milani Purple Passion, Rimmel Violet Metal, Color Club Ultraviolet

Duochrome/Crazy Purple

Milani Dot Com, Rimmel Zeitgeist, OPI Mad As A Hatter, MAC Toast Of the Town, Zoya Adina

I think I have a purple problem, ha.

Nail Polish Stash: Part Three

2010-07-10T10:00:00.003-05:00

Click here for the rest of the series.

Taken from Part One: I recently decided to reorganize my polish, since I no longer know how many I own, what colors I own, etc. So, in a way, this series of posts is to help keep me organized. But it's also for you all! If you see anything in these posts that you want to see more of, let me know, and I'll swatch it for you. :] (EDIT: Some photos are clickable, some aren't. I'm not really sure why this is happening, and I've tried to fix it, but nothing seems to work. Sorry!)

Berry

Milani Blackberry Baby, Essie Soiree Mauve, OPI Manicurist of Seville, Zoya Roxy, Sally Hansen Enduring Plum, Nina Ultra Pro Pomegranate, Rimmel Hypnotise, Sally Hansen Berry Swift, Essie Very Cranberry, Zoya Harlow

Dark Pink Creme

Rimmel Pink Punk, China Glaze Rich & Famous, Milani Parfait, Sula Paint & Peel Watermelon, Avon Viva Pink, Nicole by OPI Something About Spring, Milani Pink Pop (neon, so of course it didn't photograph anywhere near its real color)

Dark Pink Shimmer

Milani #1 Hottest Pink, China Glaze Strawberry Fields, Color Club Electro Candy (much darker, but, again, neons never photograph correctly), Zoya Kiki, OPI La Paz-itively Hot

Medium Pink

Sally Hansen VIP Pink, L'Oreal Trust Fund Baby, China Glaze Rio, Milani Sugar (which is actually more of a candy pink), Revlon Sublime Strawberry

Light Pink

China Glaze Something Sweet, Color Club I Believe in Amour, Jessica Pink Lemonade, Revlon Cotton Candy, Color Club Pardon My French, Orly Polo Princess, Essie Pop Art Pink, Unnamed and really old (like, from when I was in elementary school) Bon Bons polish

Pink Glitter/Foil

Hello Kitty multicolored glitter in pink base from Target, Avon Rave, Milani Disco Lights

Nude

Chanel Jade Rose (which, I know, is technically a pink. But it gives me mannequin hands, so I consider it to be a nude.), Sally Hansen Champagne Diamond, Sally Hansen Sheerleader

Nail Polish Stash: Part Two

2010-07-09T10:00:00.009-05:00

Click here for the rest of the series.

Taken from Part One: I recently decided to reorganize my polish, since I no longer know how many I own, what colors I own, etc. So, in a way, this series of posts is to help keep me organized. But it's also for you all! If you see anything in these posts that you want to see more of, let me know, and I'll swatch it for you. :] (EDIT: Some photos are clickable, some aren't. I'm not really sure why this is happening, and I've tried to fix it, but nothing seems to work. Sorry!)

Dark Red Creme

Revlon Vixen, Rimmel Celebrity Bash, L'Oreal Stroke of Midnight, Milani Bella Berry, Clinique Black Honey Velvet, OPI All A-bordeaux the Sled!

Dark Red Shimmer/Glitter

Zoya Blair (much more red than this), Sally Hansen Glossy, Revlon Autumn Berry, Sally Hansen Flirt (which is actually more purple than red, but whatever)

Medium/Bright Red Creme

China Glaze Sacred Heart, L'Oreal Lady Luck, Revlon Mon Cherry, Sephora by OPI High Maintenance, Covergirl Candy Apple, China Glaze Hawaiian Punch (Which, erm, shouldn't be in this lineup. It has a barely-there shimmer. Oops!), Rimmel Passion, OPI Comet Loves Cupid, Essie Red Nouveau

Medium/Bright Red Shimmer/Glitter

Zoya Posh, China Glaze Ruby Pumps, Orly Star Spangled, BB Couture Fairy Blood, OPI Dear Santa, Revlon Frankly Scarlet, Rimmel Big Night Out, Hard Candy Lava

Nail Polish Stash: Part One

2010-07-08T15:05:00.013-05:00

Welcome to part one of my nail polish stash! I recently decided to reorganize my polish, since I no longer know how many I own, what colors I own, etc. So, in a way, this series of posts is to help keep me organized. But it's also for you all! If you see anything in these posts that you want to see more of, let me know, and I'll swatch it for you. :] (EDIT: Some photos are clickable, some aren't. I'm not really sure why this is happening, and I've tried to fix it, but nothing seems to work. Sorry!)

Black

Orly Liquid Vinyl, Orly Iron Butterfly, Icing Blackout, Sephora by OPI 212-Sephora, Diamond Cosmetics Chainmail Charm, Art Deco Black

Light Brown/Taupe

Color Club Charity Ball, OPI You Don't Know Jacques!, Orly Country Club Khaki, Milani Mr. Sandman, Orly Coffee Break

Dark Brown

Revlon Hot for Chocolate, Maybelline Mocha Blast, Zoya Kalista, OPI My Private Jet (brown version), OPI Holiday Glow, OPI Shim-merry Chic

Gold

OPI for Sephora Rumba Romance, Zoya Richelle, Milani Good Morning Sunshine, OPI Bling Dynasty, Avon Spellbound

White

Konad Special Polish in White, China Glaze Glacier, OPI Fit For a Queensland, Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure, Color Club Si Vous Please!, OPI Alpine Snow Matte

Gray/Silver

Essie Chinchilly, Icing Ice Queen, China Glaze Milennium (With bonus cat hair. Sorry about that!)

Vacation haul!

2010-06-27T17:56:00.008-05:00

I have returned! I had so much fun on my trip, but I'm definitely happy to be home. I so did not miss this awful humidity, though. Seriously, I think it got worse while I was away.

Anyway! As most of you know, I did some major shopping while in Minnesota, mainly at the Mall of America. (Sidenote: We were in the mall for six hours and only went to five stores. We didn't even make it to Urban Outfitters or H&M! At that point, though, my feet were killing me, so I was okay with leaving, haha.)

The main reason for facing that huge mall? LUSH. I went crazy in there, and bought way more than I had originally planned, but hey. At least I'm set in the soaps department for quite some time, haha. The next order I'll make probably won't be until Christmas.

The Olive Branch shower gel, Whoosh shower jelly, Flying Fox shower gel

Seanik solid shampoo, Soak N Float solid shampoo

Tea Tree Water, Vanishing Cream, Lemony Flutter, Grease Lightning, Mint Julips lip scrub, Fresh Farmacy, Vanillary solid perfume

Godmother soap, Honey I Washed the Kids soap, Alkmaar soap, Sandstone soap, Black Currant glycerine soap from Crabtree and Evelyn, Buffy body butter

Think Pink bath bomb, Big Blue bath bomb, Dorothy bubble bar, Space Girl bath bomb, Ma Bar bubble bar

I have actually managed to convert my mother to LUSH! I was shocked that she actually found things that she liked, since she's quite picky when it comes to bath and shower products. Here are her picks:

A French Kiss bubble bar, Golden Slumbers bath bomb, Karma soap (which is actually for my brother), Sakura bath bomb, Tisty Tosty bath bomb

Now onto Sephora! I also got a four-sided buffer thing (which is so much better than my old, generic one), but I forgot which bag I put it in, haha.

Replacement of my Benefit Dr. Feelgood (Seriously, this stuff is made of magic.), tokidoki for Sephora lip gloss in Devil Girl

Now, about that lip gloss. I was determined to buy something from the tokidoki line, but I had no idea what I wanted. I never wear eye shadow, nor do I ever wear highlighters or bronzers. And, honestly, I'm normally not much of a lip gloss person, either. But these lip glosses were SO. CUTE. I wanted them all, but I settled on the one that would actually show up a little on my lips. Actually, settled is the wrong word. I fell in love with this lip gloss. It's a perfect, wearable shade of red that's just the right level of sheer. When I put it on, it's like my lips but way, way better. Absolutely love.

Crabtree & Evelyn and random Sephora! (Also, yes, I realize I put a C&E soap in the LUSH part. I did that because that one is mine, and these ones below are not. I didn't want to unbox something that wasn't mine.) The Philosophy gift is for one of my sisters-in-law. Nomad and Sienna are my dad's, and Lavender, Summer Hill, and the Jojoba Oil soaps are my mom's.

Sienna soap, Lavender soap, Summer Hill soap, Nomad soap, Jojoba Oil triple milled soap, Philosophy Beach Girl gift set (This thing is absolutely adorable.)

Nail polish! What, you didn't think I'd go on a trip and not buy polish, did you? The two regular OPIs are from JC Penney, and Rumba Romance is, obviously, from Sephora.

OPI A Good Mandarin is Hard to Find, OPI for Sephora Rumba Romance, OPI Manicurist of Seville

Another reason for going to Minneapolis? IKEA! Oh, man. I was in heaven in that store. It's amazing! I definitely encourage everyone to visit an IKEA at least once. Now, we actually bought more than what I took a picture of, but, well, I'm not sure where the other purchases were packed, haha. The only thing that I personally bought were these four soap dishes. I have been searching high and low for draining soap dishes that were aesthetically pleasing and cheap. Trust me, this is much more difficult than it sounds! I found these for $1.99 each, and they're perfect!

In IKEA, we also bought the cutest cookie cutters I've ever seen (It's a set that includes a moose, a hedgehog, a fox, a bear, a snail, and..something else, I think.), a few silicone spatulas, and two jams (Raspberry & Blueberry, and Lingonberry), both of which are delicious.

Random clothing purchases!

Plaid tunic from Forever 21, Minnetonka moccasin bootie things, Minnetonka kilty moccasins, awesome watch from an antique store

The Minnetonkas were kind of an unexpected thing. I have a pair of Minnetonka moccasins that I ordered online, but I don't like them very much. They rub my feet and are just plain uncomfortable. These two pairs, though? HEAVEN. They're so, so comfortable. I think I'll be living in these when it becomes cold enough to allow me to wear suede on my feet again.

Well! I think that's everything. Needless to say, I won't be going on another shopping trip for quite some time, haha.

Orly Coffee Break.

2010-06-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

This polish is so atypical of my usual polish choices, but I do love it quite a bit. It's the exact color of café au lait, and it makes my nails look so clean! I remember when I got this polish in 11th grade. I wore it so much! It really is a pretty color, but the wear wasn't the best. For the first few days it was okay, but then it really started chipping. Application was pretty good, though, and I think it only took two or three coats to be opaque.

Finger Paints Sketch N Etch.

2010-06-25T10:00:00.002-05:00

This is one of Finger Paints' latest releases, and I believe it's a new addition to their core line. This is great news, because it means that most of you will be able to get a bottle! And, really, you should get a bottle. It has swiftly become one of my favorite greens.

It's a gorgeous, lit-from-within emerald green shimmer. The second picture is a more accurate depiction of the lit-from-within-ness. Application was awesome. It was smooth, and I only had to use two coats to get a decent amount of opaqueness. I suppose I could have used one more coat, though, to really ensure that I wasn't going to have any VNL. Wear was decent, and, honestly, the only reason it chipped so quickly (on the second or third day of wear) was because I was house-sitting and I had to do a ton of cleaning. Also, my nails have been peeling pretty badly lately.

Speaking of which, does anyone have any suggestions on how to combat this? My nails are usually pretty strong, but lately I've been having serious problems with peeling/breakage. I've heard Nail Tek suggested before. Is this a good option? What do you suggest?

Avon Viva Pink.

2010-06-24T10:00:00.001-05:00

I actually only own a few Avon polishes, and I haven't worn the rest of them in years. This was actually a fairly recent acquisition. I might consider buying more, if the rest of them are as nice as this. Application was decent, wear was decent, and it was nice and shiny. When I bought this polish, I had been lemming a great, candy pink, and that's exactly what this is.
But seriously, though, this polish is impossible to capture. The color is so bright! My camera reacted to it like it would react to a neon. Meaning, not well! The second picture, which was taken in direct sunlight, is a much more accurate depiction of the color.

Rimmel Violet Metal.

2010-06-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

Ha, whenever I go to write about this polish, I accidentally type Violent Metal. I guess that's an accurate description of how I felt when I wore this polish, though: violent. Because, even though the color is beautiful and the application was pretty decent, the wear was HORRIBLE. 10 days my foot! It barely lasted a day before it was chipping off in huge chunks! I was so, so mad. I normally don't have issues with Rimmel polishes! But this one was seriously a disaster.

China Glaze Something Sweet.

2010-06-22T10:00:00.001-05:00

Oh, this polish.. I wanted to love it. I really did. I mean, sure, I love the color, which manages to be delicate and mod at the same time. But application and wear were both horrendous. It took so many coats to even it out and get it smooth, and then, due to the massive amounts of coats, it chipped so fast. I only have one other polish from the Up & Away collection, Grape Pop, which I haven't tried yet. I'm kind of a bit nervous to try it, to be quite honest. I don't want another application disaster like I had with this one.

China Glaze, cremes are not your strong suit. Just saying.

OPI Meet Me On the Star Ferry.

2010-06-21T10:00:00.001-05:00

This polish is so, so beautiful. It's a wonderful plummy purple with slightly holographic (!!) shimmer. This is from OPI's spring 2010 Hong Kong collection. Honestly, when I first saw this one, I wasn't all that interested. But then I started seeing it more and more, and I fell in love! I'm so happy I was able to win this one from PolishSWATCHES.

So, so pretty. I realize that in these two pictures, the polish looks to be a different color. But that's the thing about MMOTSF! It shifted in different lighting! Goodness, I love this polish. Application was a dream, and wear was pretty good, too.

China Glaze Entourage.

2010-06-20T10:00:00.001-05:00

This color was impossible to capture. It's a beautiful crisp Granny Smith apple green with a slight green shimmer. I love it! I did two coats here, but I'm realizing now that I should have done three. Oh well. Application was lovely, though! Pretty much one of the best China Glazes I've worn.

One Bath and Body: Squeaky Clean Solid Shampoo

2010-06-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

(I reviewed the Hair Biscuit solid shampoo and Hair Boost solid conditioner here.)

Squeaky Clean solid shampoo is supposed to be used for oily hair, so that is probably why I didn't like it very much. My hair doesn't really get oily unless I haven't washed it for a few days, but this is pretty much the norm for most people. I think if you have naturally oily hair, this would work much better.

I do love the scent of this solid shampoo, though. It has a light sweet, almost floral scent with a hint of what smells to me like strawberry. So, yes, quite nice!

The lather was great, but for me, the shampoo just dried out my hair way too much and made it quite limp. Again, this is probably just because I don't naturally have oily hair!

Have you used this shampoo? If so, how did you like it?

-----

And that's the end of my first Bath and Body Week! I hope you enjoyed it. I really do love most of these products, and I really do suggest that you try them out. They're all almost 100% natural, and the packaging is totally cute and totally recyclable. One Bath and Body products are sold in Target stores and online at target.com.

(Disclaimer: I received this product for free from One Bath and Body. The opinions stated above are completely my own and have not been influenced by anyone in any way.)

One Bath and Body x2: Soaps and Sponges

2010-06-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

One has six soaps all together, and I received one of each to try out. Let's talk about scent first.

Citrus Peel: Orange with a bit of a spicy, clove-y undertone.

Peace: It has a very clean, soapy scent. It's actually quite nice.

Sweet Honey: Also very clean-smelling. It only has a faint, faint hint of honey.

Blast From the Past: This one reminds me of sugar cookies, no lie. It's so sugary sweet.

Just 4 Me!: This one is exactly like its description. Brown sugar oatmeal. It's really nice, actually.

Extra Virgin: My favorite of the bunch. It has a very aquatic, green scent to it. So, so nice.

Sweet Honey, Blast From the Past, and Just 4 Me! are very creamy soaps. Out of these three, Just 4 Me! is probably my favorite. It has a great scent, and the oatmeal makes for a nice, gentle exfoliant.

Citrus Peel, Peace, and Extra Virgin have the look of your typical soap. Somewhat translucent, but not completely. Out of these, I love Extra Virgin, not only because it's nice and moisturizing due to being made from olive oil, but the scent is amazing, as well.

These soaps all have a nice lather, and I believe them to be great alternatives to just your basic bar soap.

One actually has five different sponges: a round sponge, a large sponge, a chenille bath mitt, a chenille sponge, and an all-natural exfoliating sponge. I received the chenille sponge and the all-natural exfoliating sponge for review.

Let's start with the exfoliating sponge. Now, I was not all that fond of this one. It was quite scratchy, and all the loose fibers really bothered me. It also didn't hold product all that well. I really wanted to like this one, but I just couldn't. You might have better luck with it, though! Because remember: Just because something doesn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you.

The chenille sponge was a bit better. Now, this is actually a normal sponge covered in woven chenille. It was quite soft, and it would be nice to use during a bath. I wouldn't consider it for an every day sponge, though, since, again, it didn't hold product very well.

On both of these, it was very hard to get the product to lather, and I tried them with both bar soap and liquid shower gel.

(Disclaimer: I received this product for free from One Bath and Body. The opinions stated above are completely my own and have not been influenced by anyone in any way.)

One Bath and Body x2: Hand and Body Lotions and Shea Body Butters

2010-06-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

Onto some of my favorite products from One!

First, their Hand and Body Lotions.

I was sent Cloud 9 and Citrus Spice and Everything Nice to try, and let me just say: I love them both. Seriously, everything about them is wonderful.

Cloud 9 has a nice, clean floral scent that, in a way, reminds me of toned-down lilacs. I like to use this one at night, since it's so relaxing.

Citrus Spice and Everything Nice has an awesome, amazing lemongrass scent. It's so nice and energizing!

The texture on both of these is wonderful. It's a nice, luxurious-feeling lotion that isn't too greasy. It sinks in, leaving my skin nice and moisturized for quite some time. This is a great every day lotion. Not too heavy duty. Really, it's perfect for when you just need a little moisturizing pick-me-up.

I also really love the packaging on this. The flexible, toothpaste-like tube makes it possible to get every last drop of lotion out.

This comes in two other scents, Vanilla Almond Custard and Movie Star Skin, which both sound lovely!

Oh. My. Word. This stuff is amazing! If I was going to tell you to buy one thing from One, it would be these! Seriously, the best body butter I've tried in a long time. Granted, I've only ever really tried body butter by Bath and Body Works and The Body Shop, but still. This stuff is amazing.

First of all, the scents. Oh, the scents! You Wild Coconut, You! is a great, beachy coconut, very reminiscent of the Coco-coconut lip balm I talked about on Tuesday. It smells a little bit like sunscreen, but I still love it! It's very summery.

Cherry Blossom Trails is quite lovely, as well. It's not really your typical cherry blossom scent. You know the scent I'm talking about: floral, but a little musky, with a little bite to it. I love cherry blossom scents (my favorite LUSH scent is actually Sakura/Rub Rub Rub/17 Cherry Tree Lane. Now THAT'S an awesome cherry blossom scent.), and I love this body butter. It has a nice, soft flowery scent that seems to maybe have a hint of raspberry in it. It's so nice.

The texture of these body butters is probably my favorite thing about them, though. It's perfect. I know most of you have seen The Body Shop body butters: They're kind of liquidy, and really greasy. I mean, I like them, don't get me wrong. But they're just a little too slippery for my tastes. One's body butters are basically the exact opposite of this. They're creamy, and solid, and they feel so luxurious on. How about a horrible webcam picture (in which my skin looks pasty white, speckled, and horrendous) to show you the texture?

See what I mean? It really kind of reminds me of butter! I love it. Absolutely love it. And it's so moisturizing! And not greasy at all. I really, really recommend these body butters.

One also has two other body butter scents, Citrus Peel and Shea My Body.

(Disclaimer: I received this product for free from One Bath and Body. The opinions stated above are completely my own and have not been influenced by anyone in any way.)

One Bath and Body: Bath Fizzers

2010-06-16T10:00:00.002-05:00

Now, these were pretty much the only One products that I wasn't all that fond of. They do have a few pros, though, so let's start with those.

I really loved how long they fizz once you drop them in the bath. If you've ever tried a bath bomb of any kind, you know it's hit-and-miss with how long they'll fizz. Some fizz for forever, and some just sort of fizzle (ha!) out. These bath fizzers lasted quite a while for me, which was great. I want to enjoy my baths, so it's nice to not have these just disintegrate once they're dropped into the bath.

I also loved that they were already separated into halves. Trust me, this is a great asset for these products. It's pretty much impossible to split a LUSH bath bomb in half, so the fact that these are already split is awesome.

Now, what I didn't really like about these bath fizzers: the scents. They're SO. STRONG. And not really a good strong. There's some scent in all of them that just does not sit well with me or my nose. I'm not exactly sure what it is, since One doesn't list the specific fragrances of any of their bath fizzers. Honestly, I must be allergic to it or something, because that's the only thing I can smell when I smell any of these bath fizzers. This is probably just me, though, so I strongly suggest you go do a sniff test for yourself.

Note: One does have one more bath fizzer, I Need This!, which is a lemongrass pick-me-up. I'd love to smell this one, since I adore lemongrass.

(Disclaimer: I received this product for free from One Bath and Body. The opinions stated above are completely my own and have not been influenced by anyone in any way.)

One Bath and Body: Lip Butter Balms

2010-06-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

(Top, L to R: Coco-coconut, Lip Tune-up, Honey Cream; Bottom: Cherry Pie)

Oh, my goodness. I cannot praise these lip balms enough. Seriously, they're perfection. The scents are glorious, they've got a good slip to them, they're moisturizing, and they're adorable.

Let's first talk about the scents, shall we? Out of the four I was sent to try, I liked Coco-coconut the best. Now, I'm not one who normally likes coconut, but this isn't that sweet, sugary coconut that's in so many products. It's a beachy, almost sunscreen-y coconut that's not too overpowering. It's a little bitter when it first goes on the lips, but after about two seconds, that bitterness changes to a nice sweetness.

Lip Tune-up is also quite nice. It has sort of a brown sugar scent that's quite common in a number of One Bath and Body products that I've tried.

Honey Cream has a lovely, sweet honey scent with a hint of lemon.

Cherry Pie, honestly, doesn't really smell like cherry pie to me, but it's still wonderful! It has a nice, sweet, girly scent that's not too overpowering.

These lip balms are really quite wonderful. I think I can probably get about an hour or so out of one application of lip balm. (Actually, this was tested when I was still in class. I applied the lip balm right before I got into class, and it was still there when I got out, 1 hour and 15 minutes later.) It's nice to not have to reapply my lip balm right after I put it on. And the packaging is so cute, and the scents are nice and not too overpowering! These are definitely winners in my book.

Note: One Bath and Body does have two more lip balms, Berry Delicious and Shea My Lips, that I have not tried/was not sent for review. If you've tried these, let me know how they are!

(Disclaimer: I received this product for free from One Bath and Body. The opinions stated above are completely my own and have not been influenced by anyone in any way.)

One Bath and Body: Lotion Massage Bar

2010-06-14T10:00:00.002-05:00

(I reviewed the Nighty-Nite After Shower Skin Conditioner Bar here.)

Now, I realize the packaging says that I received the Oh, My Gosh! massage bar, but, looking at the website, this was mislabeled and I actually received the Calming Bar. I know this, because my bar has the adzuki beans that the Calming Bar has and Oh My Gosh! does not.

Anyway! I quite liked this product. It smells strongly (VERY STRONGLY) of peppermint, which, really, is fine by me. I love peppermint! And this isn't some weird, sickly sweet peppermint. It's a true, "peppermint oil" peppermint scent. I've heard people compare it to the scent of LUSH's Wiccy Magic Muscles, but I've never smelled Wiccy, so I can't really say whether this is true or not. The two bars do look quite similar, though.

As far as texture, this is a nice, creamy, solid moisturizing bar. It does start to melt a bit in my hand, but that's to be expected. It felt nice as it went on, and it did seem to add some moisture. And the scent did help to relieve some stress.

Sidenote: I also really love that One includes tins for their massage bars (also for their solid shampoos and conditioner). It's really great to have somewhere to store these things, since they really do need to be protected from the elements of your bathroom.

(Disclaimer: I received this product for free from One Bath and Body. The opinions stated above are completely my own and have not been influenced by anyone in any way.)

One Bath and Body: Fizzy Bath Salts

2010-06-13T10:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to day one of the first Bath and Body Week! I think I'll probably try to do these themed weeks more often. I think they're fun!

I'm starting off the week with an old classic: bath salts. Now, I've used bath salts since I was a child. I always felt so fancy, pouring the salts into the bath water, and then sinking into the nice-smelling water.

One Bath and Body's Fizzy Bath Salts are like your classic bath salts, but better. They're infused with essential oils to help you relax and sleep (in the case of I'm Sleepy) or to help you destress (in the case of Stress No More!).

Now, personally, baths already help me relax and destress, so these are just sort of an added luxury. As far as scents go, I preferred I'm Sleepy over Stress No More!, mainly because the scent of Stress No More! was just a bit too generic for me. I couldn't quite make out the eucalyptus or spearmint. In I'm Sleepy, I could clearly smell the lavender and the vanilla.

Let's talk about packaging, yes? The packaging is, in a word, adorable. Seriously, I love it. I love the vintage vibes and the pretty colors. These would look lovely sitting on my bathroom counter or in a basket next to my bathtub!

Overall, I'm really happy with these. They're not just your average bath salts, in my opinion.

(Disclaimer: I received this product for free from One Bath and Body. The opinions stated above are completely my own and have not been influenced by anyone in any way.)

Bath and Body Week! Focus on: One Bath and Body

2010-06-12T10:00:00.005-05:00

This week, I'll be posting things that were sent to me by the wonderful Glenn of One Bath and Body.

Sunday: Fizzy Bath Salts

Monday: Lotion Massage Bar

Tuesday: Lip Butter Balms

Wednesday: Bath Fizzers

Thursday: Hand and Body Lotions and Body Butters

Friday: Soaps and Sponges

Saturday: Squeaky Clean Solid Shampoo

I hope you enjoy!

China Glaze Millenium.

2010-06-11T10:00:00.001-05:00

Oh, the famous (or infamous) ChG Millenium. Loved and hated by nail fanatics worldwide. Seriously, this polish is..something. I love the look of it. Silver foil? Count me in! However, the application was horrendous. It accentuated every bump, dip, and ridge on my nails. It's streaky. And it chipped on the same day that I put it on. The only good thing about its application is the dry time, which was majorly fast.

I think I'm going to relegate this to the "stamping-only" section of my polish collection. Because, really, this entire manicure was a disaster.

Essie California Coral.

2010-06-10T10:00:00.004-05:00

Oy. I apologize for the horrible webcam picture! But, seriously, it was the only camera that could even remotely capture the color of this polish. And it's still not bright enough! Seriously, this is one bright polish.

I actually got this for..Christmas, I believe? I really love it. It's part of Essie's core collection, and, honestly, I don't think I've ever seen anyone talk about it before. That's understandable, since it looks like a pretty basic coral in the bottle. But on the nails, it just pops! It's so bright and vivid, and it made my nails look flawless. The formula was a bit fussy, though. I was able to achieve (almost) perfection by doing three thin, meticulous coats and allowing them to settle a bit before I did the next coat, but, yes, it's a bit of a hassle to apply. Totally worth it, though.

On another note, do you see how long my nails were at that point? Man, I miss them. They've been breaking like crazy lately. Does anyone have any tips on how to help them grow better? I normally have pretty strong nails. I've heard Nail Tek suggested before. Anyone have any experience with that?

BB Couture Fairy Blood.

2010-06-06T18:06:00.004-05:00

Say hello to the polish that rekindled my love for nail polish. In November of last year, I saw an image of BB Couture Fairy Blood somewhere. Now, this was way back when I only had about 60 polishes. I did happen to have China Glaze Ruby Pumps, though, but from what I saw of Fairy Blood, the two weren't identical. I had to have this polish. So I searched and searched, and finally I found where to buy BB Couture: Overall Beauty. So I ordered the polish and the rest, folks, is history. I have several red glitter polishes and, seriously, this trumps them all.
This is one of my absolute favorite polishes. It's a beautiful blood red jelly with red, almost glass fleck-like glitter. Application is flawless, and wear was pretty good. Sadly, I can't compare wear with any other BB Couture polishes, since this is my only one.

Happiness is...

2010-06-02T11:45:00.017-05:00

This is a bit of a different post for me, but I feel that it's still related to beauty, because when you're happy, you're the most beautiful person you can be.

(Note: this post is for Get Lippie's Birthday Giveaway.)

Rings, rings, rings. I love rings.

Writing. It's my release.

All of Miyazaki's films.

Films by Sofia Coppola. She has a way of filming that makes one feel like they are watching a dream, rather than a movie.

Books, books, and more books. I am probably the most avid reader I know. I'll read anything.

Cats, music, vintage images.

Getting dolled up for no reason. Wearing lipstick. Just feeling pretty.

Summer bike rides. I don't go on them often enough but, boy, do they make me happy.

Summer. Summer makes me so happy. It's just a time of relaxation and iced teas and lounging outside and sunglasses and sandals and florals.

There are many, many more things that make me happy. Curling up in bed on a rainy day, Klimt, Degas, long baths, new magazines, vintage-inspired fashion, photography, nail polish, obviously.

So, tell me, what makes you happy?

Zoya Swatchapalooza!

2010-05-26T15:23:00.009-05:00

Finally! I'm able to post my Zoya Polish Exchange swatches! I wanted to get these up as soon as possible, so that, if you're thinking about participating in the Exchange, you'd have an idea of some of their shades. (Mixed in with my 10 Exchange polishes [the other 6 went to my mom] are my 3 polishes I got from the LIPPY code a while back.) Also: Sorry for the messiness of these swatches! I did my best to keep them clean, but, well, I was running on very little sleep, haha. Oh, and if you have any questions about a particular polish (application, opacity, etc.), just ask!

Note: All are taken in lighting that allows for their true colors to be shown. All polishes are shown without basecoat or topcoat, except for Roxy, which has one coat of basecoat, then two coats polish, then one coat of topcoat. Also, I apologize for the random pieces of fuzz/cat hair. Those always seem to sneak into pictures somehow!

OPI Alpine Snow Matte

2010-05-24T14:39:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post today, since I'm technically supposed to be cleaning, ha ha.

About a month ago, I had nice long nails. Then one night..they decided to break. Like, three of them. So, obviously, I had to file them all down. And all this happened right before I was about to go out. Enter Alpine Snow Matte.

Now, some of you know that I had been searching for a good white to use as a base for neons, sheers, etc. Well, I think I have found it.

ASM dries super fast, and, yeah, okay, it does look like you painted your nails with Wite-Out. But since most of the time it's going to be covered up, that's fine! I had a good coat of not-totally-streaky white on the first coat, and then the second and third really evened everything out. I decided to add a topcoat, so that it would be nice and shiny. And, boy, was it shiny!

I really do think I've found my perfect white.

Sorry that I don't have any pictures of ASM sans topcoat, but I really was in a hurry when I did this mani.

Nail Tag!

2010-05-08T20:48:00.004-05:00

I got this from Lacquer Ware for Tips and Toes. Feel free to copy and paste and do it on your own blog!

Nail Polish Stash:

How many polishes do you have in your stash?
Approximately 193. I really need to go through my list again and figure out what I gave up for the Zoya Polish Exchange. And when I get my Exchange polishes, this number will be up by 16. :D

Which brand do you own the most of?
China Glaze. It's beating OPI by one. Once my Zoyas come, though, they'll be in the lead.

What colors do you own the most of?
Purple or red. I did get rid of a few of my reds for the Exchange, though.

Do you have a color/texture you do not own?
I don't own any crazily-shaped glitter. Or string glitter. Or hex glitter, really. Honestly, the only glitter I have is circular, as far as I know. I don't own very many glitters.

What's the one polish you always pick up to lift your spirits?
There's not one particular polish. Really, it's anything that's a nice, bright color and applies easily.

What polish do you keep looking at and wondering why you haven't gotten rid of it yet?
Well, it was Rimmel Frisky Clover. It's so not me. I recently gave it to my mom, though.

Franken me? or I'm nervous to try it?
I'm kind of nervous to try it. Though when I was in middle school, I did franken a dove gray. I was so ahead of the curve! :P

Do you franken for new/original polish ideas or franken for polish you won't be able to own?
I don't franken. But if I ever do, it will probably be an attempt to recreate a hard-to-find polish.

Go-to Base Coat?
Zoya Anchor.

Go-to Top Coat?
Poshe.

What's your sexiest polish?
I think my vampies are all pretty sexy. Though the polish I'm wearing right now, BB Couture Fairy Blood, is definitely not a vampy, but it's still really sexy. I think so, anyway.

Nail Design:

Stamping vs Free Hand?
Stamping, definitely. I'm really OCD about nail art, and if I'm trying to make it look uniform, it needs to be uniform.

Bling me, baby? or No bling for me, please!
The most bling I'll do is glitter.

I consider my nails basically nekkid if they don' t have some kind of design?
Eh, I'm fine with just polish on my nails. I still haven't quite gotten the hang of stamping.

My favorite plate/tool/technique?
If I had the talent, I'd love to do a gradient (the single-nail gradient kind, not the full-hand gradient). As far as plates go..well, I don't have a favorite yet.

What I haven't tried and want to within the month?
I want to try stamping with different plates this month.

Purchase/Lemmings:

The one elusive polish you want and can't seem to get?
Well, it was Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure. I have that now, though (Thanks, Steph!). Hm..I suppose OPI Yokohama Twilight. Curse you, overseas exclusives!

What was the last nail related thing you bought?
Uhh..hm. What was it? Oh! Duh! My Zoya Polish Exchange order.

How much nail related hauls have you bought in the last 7 days (on-line/in-person)?
Just one, my Zoya Polish Exchange.

If you've ever been on a no-buy, how long did it last? Is that what you planned?
Ha, I've put myself on a no-buy before. Yeah, that lasted about a week. I had planned for much longer. :P

(and one question to grow on) Hobby? Addiction? Compulsion? Passing Fancy? Love?
Well. I love nail polish. I really love it. I'd definitely say it's a hobby of mine. I especially love collecting the polish, and it's such a great feeling to find one that you were searching everywhere for! I think I will love nail polish for a long, long time. :]

My Zoya collection.

2010-05-07T19:35:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to show you all some quick nail wheel swatches of my Zoya collection, to give you an idea of a few more Zoya colors that you could add to your Zoya Polish Exchange order. All of these except for Akyra, Anastasia, and Cassi have been swatched on my blog.

From L to R: Akyra, Anastasia, Cassi, Envy, Gwin, Irene, Kaufda, Posh, Richelle, Suvi

(without flash)

(with flash)

Akyra - metallic blackened teal with blue undertones
Anasasia - purple/brown with golden brown and plum duochrome (has glitter)
Cassi - strawberry milkshake pink (has glitter)
Envy - dark, almost black green
Gwin - melon/orange with gold, green, and yellow flash
Irene - metallic moss green with golden brown undertones
Kaufda - metallic rustic orange/copper/red
Posh - matte wine red with slight matte shimmer
Richelle - shimmery, slightly bronzed gold with foil finish
Suvi - metallic smoky evergreen

I will have 16 more Zoyas to swatch once I get my Polish Exchange order, so keep an eye out for that post!

Zoya Kaufda.

2010-05-07T17:34:00.006-05:00

Kaufda is one of what I like to call the "unsung heroes" of the Zoya polish family. Seriously, this color is gorgeous. It's a wonderful rustic orangey reddish copper. I just love colors like this. Really earthy, but still super pretty.

Application was flawless, as usual. It was a teensy bit sheer on the first coat, so I ended up doing two more, just to even things out. And it's seriously long-wearing! Mine lasted seven days before I finally took it off because I was starting to get sick of it, haha. The worst wear I had was from where my nails were growing out.

Also, note the nubbins. They were even worse. In fact, they were so bad, they hurt whenever I bumped my fingertips. They're doing so much better now. I've got some growth past my fingertips again, which is great.

Now. I know I had promised to swatch Akyra for you all. HOWEVER. When I went to put it on, that sucker would not dry! Seriously, I didn't do anything different than what I normally do, and I didn't pile on an excessive amount of polish. It just wouldn't dry! It actually ended up peeling off. Literally peeling. It was awful.

I'll get my Zoya nail wheel up soon, so that you guys can have an idea of a few more of Zoyas colors, just in case you're planning on participating in the Polish Exchange.

Giveaways of the week.

2010-05-06T19:10:00.002-05:00

(EDIT: This post is going to last longer than a week, since there weren't that many giveaways announced last week!)

Lacquerized. Click here to learn more!

AllYouDesire. Click here to learn more!

Pop Beauty sale on HauteLook tomorrow!

2010-05-05T17:11:00.003-05:00

I've never used Pop Beauty before, but I hear their polishes are pretty great.

Now, I don't know if any polishes will be on sale tomorrow, but I hope so!

If you would like to participate in the Pop Beauty sale, click here to register for HauteLook, and get to shopping tomorrow!

(Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with HauteLook or any of the other companies mentioned in this post. Image via Google.)

Zoya Gwin.

2010-05-05T16:05:00.008-05:00

This is seriously one pretty polish. I picked it up during that NYFW sale that Zoya had a while back, along with Akyra, a new basecoat, and Anastasia (for my mom). My swatch definitely doesn't show half the beauty of this polish. It's an amazing melon/orange with green and gold flash.

I really wish I would have gotten better pictures of this polish. At least you can somewhat see the yellow-gold flash.

My ankle is doing much better today! I think maybe I didn't actually sprain it. It just definitely felt like I did. Really, I'm surprised it didn't break. I've sprained this ankle before, meaning it's weaker, meaning it's more prone to breakage.

I have so many packages on the way with stuff to review for you all! My Zoya Exchange picks (Well, actually, those won't be here for a while. I'm mailing out my trade-ins tomorrow.), four lip lustre samples from Fyrinnae (Type A, Bloodstains, Hair Dye, and Meloncholy. These probably won't be here for a while, either), OPI Damone Roberts 1968, Demeter Honeysuckle (from HauteLook), A few things from the LORAC HauteLook sale (Sheer Peach Gloss Stick, Sheer Berry Gloss Stick, and Groovy Fruit Lip Polish)..

And two other amazing packages! The first is a swap with Stephanie of Imperfectly Painted. She had a spare Hidden Treasure and offered to swap with me for Opulent Cloud! I'm insanely excited about this.

Also on the way is an RAOK from an amazing woman on MUA. She saw I was new to MUA, and offered to send me a decant of BPAL's The Unicorn. Huzzah! My first BPAL!

What's really exciting, though, is that I barely spent any money on all of these packages. The most expensive will be the Zoyas, but I'm also recycling a ton of polishes, so it pretty much evens out.

Whew. That's a lot of stuff. Tons of posts for those weeks in June, which is awesome. Oh, and I should have more Zoya for you tomorrow.

Oh! If you haven't yet, add me on twitter! I'm having so much fun talking to those of you who are following me on there. :D

Zoya Irene.

2010-05-03T21:56:00.007-05:00

Zoya Irene was actually my St. Patrick's Day manicure. I know, that was over a month ago. I've actually got a few manicures stored away that are even older than that. I told you I was behind!

I got this polish during Zoya's Green Friday event, and I can't believe I waited so long to try it out. It's gorgeous! It's an amazing olive-toned green that even has a bit of gold in it. It reminds me of caramel apples. Mmm. Application and formula were both wonderful.

Speaking of Zoya, I finally have figured out the colors I'm getting for the exchange!

Adina, Jo, Kiki, Kotori, Mimi, Roxy, Savita, Yasmeen, Yummy, and Zara are mine. Drew, Evangeline, Harley, Marcella, Midori, and Shivon are my mom's. I'm also giving six old polishes to each of my sisters-in-law so that they can get some polishes from the exchange, as well.

So if you follow me on twitter, you know that I sprained my ankle today. I was helping my mom carry some stuff down some stairs, and I tripped on the last frakking stair and landed on my ankle. Yeah, it hurt. So now I'm stuck in bed and am going crazy. On the plus side, I'll be getting a ton of blogging done in the next few weeks. And hopefully I'll be able to get my posts queued up for my trip in June.

In addition to spraining my ankle, another crappy thing that happened to me? I STILL can't find Hidden Treasure! It's so frustrating. My Walgreens around town don't even have the display for it! Ughhh.

Anyway, I hope you all had a better day than I did! And if not, hopefully the following pictures of my sleepy cat will put a smile on your face!

MAC Blue India.

2010-05-01T17:24:00.005-05:00

Oh, man. It's been forever since I've done a real post, eh? Sorry about that! School got crazy these past few months, but I'm DONE now. For the semester, at least. I start back up in August.

Anyway, I've got nine polishes to show you, plus a bunch of product reviews, and even a few nail wheels. I'm probably going to spread all of this out over quite a bit of time, but also include some newer manis and whatnot, too. I need to keep a good amount of posts on hand for June, because I'm going to Minnesota and Texas in June for two weeks and won't really have time to blog.

Onto Blue India! Okay, so. I originally wasn't going to buy this polish. It didn't wow me when I first saw it. I mean, sure, the packaging was cute, but did I really love the color? Well. Once I started seeing all the swatches, I knew I had to have it. I ordered it late one night, about a month or so ago. So, so happy I did. It's gorgeous! A beautiful dusty blue with gray undertones. On one blog I read (I can't remember which one, so if it's you, sorry!), the reviewer described it as nautical. And that's exactly what it is. Despite its dark color, it's an excellent nautical, beachy summer color. If you didn't pick this one up, I hate to say it, but you definitely missed out.

Also, application was fantastic. I did three coats, though I could have definitely gotten away with two. It was smooth and the perfect consistency. I wish my swatches did it justice. Honestly, they're atrocious. I was in a hurry, and it was late at night, and they're just bad. Also I had been house-sitting all weekend for a house with four dogs, two cats, and two ferrets. So that's all obviously not good for a manicure, haha.

On another note, have you ordered your bottle of OPI Damone Roberts 1968 yet? From what I hear, this is another can't-miss color. Here's the number to call to order: 310-271-2100. You can also get it in Damone Roberts salons, if you live near one.

Twitter!

2010-04-27T16:22:00.002-05:00

I've finally gotten a twitter account for this blog. Hooray! Click the button below and add me. We can chat! I don't know why I've put this off as long as I have. But now I've got a twitter for the blog, and all is well. :D

Lorac sale at HauteLook starts tomorrow!

2010-04-26T21:14:00.003-05:00

Now, I've never tried Lorac, but I hear they've got some pretty good products. And apparently prices are going to be from 4 dollars up, so that's pretty cool, too.

If you're interested, click here to register for HauteLook, and then do a bit of shopping tomorrow. I might just join you. :]

ETA: Yep, I broke down. I ordered two gloss sticks (Sheer Peach and Sheer Berry) and one lip polish (Groovy Fruit). I had some credit, so these three products cost a total of 9 dollars and some change. Each of these is supposed to be 20-something dollars, I believe. So yeah, killer savings. I suggest you go check out the sale, especially if you've never tried Lorac before. It's a cheap way to test out the brand.

(Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with HauteLook or any of the other companies mentioned in this post.)

Zoya Nail Polish Exchange

2010-04-26T16:49:00.006-05:00

I know by now you all have heard about the Zoya Polish Exchange. I didn't know about Zoya last year, so obviously I didn't participate. I plan on joining in on the fun this year, though, and I think I have figured out the polishes I'm going to swap.

All of these polishes are absolutely craptastic. I suppose my utterly craptastic webcam photo is appropriate then, haha.

From L to R: Orly Tennis Anyone?, Sally Hansen Lightening, Sally Hansen Unnamed sheer ugly nude, Sally Hansen Disco Ball, Ms. Manicure White, Sally Hansen Cinna-snap, Ms. Manicure sheer pink, Avon Herringbone

Seriously, these colors are horrible. Actually, I have so many polishes that I'd love to swap out, but I don't want the bill to get too hefty, you know?

I plan on swapping these for Ivanka, Ivy, Kiki, Kotori, Roxy, Savita, Yasmeen, and Yummy.

Are you going to participate? What are you going to swap/swap for?

(Just in case you have no idea what I'm talking about, click here to learn more about the Zoya Polish Exchange.)

ETA: Yeah, I just went through my stash again, and found eight more polishes I'd love to exchange. Maybe I'll hold onto those until June, and exchange them then.

The other eight:

From L to R: Covergirl Wedding White, Sally Hansen Liberated Lilac, Sally Hansen Brick Wall, Sally Hansen Crushed, Sally Hansen Clearly Quick, Finger Paints Papier-Mâché, Covergirl Electric Blue, Sally Hansen Whirlwind White

Giveaways of the week.

2010-04-25T14:32:00.005-05:00

R3 Daily. Click here to learn more!

Oh My Gosh. Click here to learn more!

Nail Fanatic. Click here to learn more!

Mon coin à moua. Click here to learn more!

Urban Decay and Demeter on sale at HauteLook!

2010-04-21T16:30:00.003-05:00

HauteLook always has some awesome stuff for sale, but they've really outdone themselves this week. Both Urban Decay and HauteLook are on sale, with the Demeter fragrances at 10 dollars, and all Urban Decay under 15 dollars. Pigments for 5 dollars, glosses for 4.25, Big Buddha Brush for 9 dollars..

What are you doing still reading this? Click here and go register and shop, shop, shop!

I actually purchased two Demeter fragrances, one for my mom for Mother's Day, and then one for myself. I've been wanting to try Demeter, but I didn't want to pay 20 dollars. I wish they would have had Holy Water, but Honeysuckle will hopefully be lovely.

(Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with HauteLook or any of the other brands mentioned in this post.)

Want...nay, NEED.

2010-04-20T21:26:00.002-05:00

What am I talking about, you ask? The L'Oreal Passport to Paradise Summer 2010 nail polish collection! I need those colors. You see, I missed out on Essie's North Fork collection, and this new L'Oreal collection is almost identical to the Essies of last summer. High Tide, Ocean Breeze, and Waters Edge, I need you all! Sadly, my town is extremely lax when it comes to stocking the new polish collections. So I doubt I'll ever get my hands on these. Alas.

Yes, this was just a whine-complain-whine blog. Hehe.

Anyway, how have you all been? Things are crazy around here right now, but next week is exam week! And then I'm free for the summer! And actually, that also means that my foray into the world of henna is right around the corner, too. I'm so excited! I'll try to document my experience the best I can, but I'm not so sure I want pictures of me with a pile of goop on my head to be put out on the Internet, haha.

Monday Poll!

2010-04-19T12:11:00.003-05:00

Mood:

Decent. I have a presentation today, but other than that, I'm pretty good. The semester is slowly winding down, and I'm finally starting to calm down a bit.

Are you a beach lover?

Definitely. I hate going in the water, though. I prefer to lay on the beach with a good book or a magazine.

Which lipglosses/lipsticks have you been using the most lately?

I've been using One lip balm in Coco-Coconut a lot lately. I haven't really had time in the mornings to properly pick out and apply lipstick, haha.

Mild or spicy?

Spicy!

Eyes/lips/cheeks:

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara on the eyes, One lip balm in Coco-Coconut on the lips, and Physician's Formula Organic Wear 2-in-1 Bronzer and Blush in Light Bronzer/Soft Ginger on the cheeks. I'm only wearing the blush side, though.

______ make me happy.

Sunshine, sleep, warm weather, afternoon naps, pedicures.

______ make me b*tchy.

Ignorance, obnoxious people, loud noises when I'm trying to study (I'm looking at you, video gamers in the Commons).

Last thing you said out loud.

“If I was going to have a laptop other than a Mac, I'd probably get a Toshiba." My friend is trying to pick out a new laptop, and I was voicing my opinion, haha.

Outfit:

Sunset-hued plaid shirt, faded skinny jeans, and really old red TOMS.

Weekly goals:

Do great on my Ethics presentation, finish my Art History assignment, work on my Philosophy of Sci-Fi paper, and STUDY.

Poll via Makeup and Beauty Blog.

Giveaways of the week.

2010-04-16T13:04:00.011-05:00

Get Ready For Summer.

1. CHANEL PARTICULIERE 505 nail polish from Spring 2010 collection (Do I need to tell you it is SOLD OUT everywhere? ;))

2. THE BODY SHOP Neroli Jasmin shower gel & body lotion (both 50ml)

3. MAYBELLINE Dream Sunglow Bronzing Booster

4. CHINA GLAZE ENTOURAGE nailpolish

5. CIATE : One Coat a Day (base polish), Hang Over Cure (treatment for cuticles), Super Sexy Dry (drying drops)

6. CALVIN KLEIN Ultimate edge Gel Eyeliner in shade 301 Cocoa Sheen (with mini brush)

7. H&M BRACELET (pink coral color with gold, perfect for spring/summer)

8. CIATE Pink Nail File

9. JILL SANDER SUN EDT 100ml (without alcohol, perfect for summer)

10. NYX LIPSTICKS in 3 colours: Electra, Indian Pink, Circle

11. NAIL ART FIMO fruits (3x10)

12. ELDORA FALSE LASHES B127

13. MORGAN STREET Lip Balm Chocolate Cake

14. 5 SHE STYLEZONE Nailpolishes

15. OPI nailpolish LA- PAZ-ITIVELY HOT normal version + MATTEversion

16. THE BODY SHOP RASPBERRY Body Butter 200ml

17. FRUCTIS Elastic Power Fix Hairspray

Click here to learn more!

Fun and Mental Things. Click here to learn more!

XOXO Parisky. Click here to learn more!

Get Nailed. Click here to learn more!

painted Lady fingers. Click here to learn more!

NAILSTAH. Click here to learn more!

Lacquered Literati. Click here to learn more!

The Lacquerista. Click here to learn more!

I'm horrible!

2010-04-12T20:29:00.004-05:00

No, really. I keep lying to you all! I said I was going to catch up on posting this weekend, and I didn't! I've got so many posts that I want to do, too!

I was housesitting all weekend, though, and it was chaos. The house I sat for has four dogs, two cats, and two ferrets. It's insane. Fun, but insane.

Honestly, my blogging these next few weeks will be extremely sporadic. We're approaching finals, and I'm getting stuff thrown at me left and right. Ugh.

I'll try to blog when I can, but just know: I'll be on a weird schedule until the beginning of May.

I'm so sorry about this, girls!

Oh, also. I completely redid my polish spreadsheet. The link in the top bar under "My Collection" leads to the correct spreadsheet, which is completely up-to-date. (ETA: So, I realized afterward that I had completely left out all my Color Clubs, as well as a few OPIs and a few China Glazes. I've added them in, and NOW it's all up-to-date.)

I'll get back to regular blogging when I can, I promise!

- Jean

Just so you all know..

2010-04-09T10:54:00.008-05:00

The China Glaze Poolside collection is up at Trans Design. It actually went up..yesterday? The day before? I don't quite remember. I do know, though, that I've been compulsively checking the website since April 1 for that collection. I meant to blog about it right when I saw that it was up, but my mind's been a bit scattered lately.

I put in my order yesterday. I was quite upset, though, because I had wanted to also order OPI Breathe Life, but by the time Trans Design finally got the Poolside collection in, Breathe Life was sold out. I ended up getting OPI Give Me the Moon, in hopes that it will satiate my need for fairy princess colors for a while, haha.

OH. ALSO. Kiwi Coolada is already sold out (Unless TD just never got any in stock. Which would be kind of weird, if you ask me). Craziness, I know.

I ended up paring down my order a ton. I got two 10-packs of nail display wheels, ChG Flip Flop Fantasy, Sun Worshiper, Rain Storm, Rio, and Entourage, and OPI Alpine Snow Matte (in hopes that it'll be a good base for neons/sheers) and Give Me The Moon. Trust me, this list was waaay longer. I've been trying to cut it down for the past month, haha.

Anyway, regular posting shall commence this weekend. My Philosophy of Sci-Fi presentation is over (For the most part. I still have to write the paper portion, but that's not difficult), and I do have a presentation for Ethics in about two weeks, but it's not going to be too difficult. I'm just happy that Phil. of Sci-Fi thing is over. It was interesting, sure, but it was so stressful. I really hate presenting, haha.

(Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Trans Design, Inc., China Glaze, OPI, or any other companies mentioned in this post. I just wanted to share information with my readers that they might find useful.)

A ton of giveaways.

2010-04-04T20:52:00.009-05:00

Sorry for all the giveaway posts lately! And for the lack of real posts. I've been working on a huge presentation for my Philosophy of Sci-Fi class for the past few weeks. I present on Wednesday, though, so after that, I'll be able to post again! Hooray! (ETA: I'll be updating this all throughout the week with whatever giveaways I come across. I think I'll start doing a weekly post of giveaways, rather than an individual post for each. It'll be much easier (and much less cluttered) that way.)

Wizards of Bling giveaway. Click here to find out more!

Lauren's Dressing Room giveaway. Click here to find out more!

Magic Maid giveaway. Click here to find out more!

The Dutch Nail Blog. Click here to find out more!

Painted Lady Fingers. Click here to find out more!

Crystaliciousss. Click here to find out more!

Steals, Deals, and Heels. Click here to find out more!

NAILSTAH. Click here to find out more!

Indie Pretty. Click here to find out more!

Misa giveaway at My Lucid Bubble!

2010-04-01T11:17:00.001-05:00

She is giving away two gorgeous Misa polishes!

Click here to learn more.

Delivery!

2010-03-30T15:53:00.002-05:00

I had an amazing surprise when I got home today! My Lush order had arrived (Unmelted! Hallelujah!), as well as a HUGE box from One Bath and Body. Trust me, I'll be reviewing their products for quite some time. I'm not complaining! Everything smells absolutely heavenly.

I'll try to get some pictures up later today, so that you call can get a little taste of what's to come!

Fun little makeup survey.

2010-03-29T21:57:00.004-05:00

I took this from Cindy at Nail'd and Polish'd, because it looked like fun! And I'm tagging each and every one of you. :D

How many times do you wash your face daily?
Twice: once in the morning and once at night.

What skin type do you have?
Combination. Or..hm. Well, it's just crazy. Sometimes it is insanely oily, sometimes it's insanely dry. And I have a few breakouts. Yeah, my skin sucks. I'm working on rectifying this, though.

What is your current facial wash?
Uh..It's some Physicians Complex stuff that I get from my facialist.
Do you exfoliate?
Yes, about once a week. I use Mark's Berry Grand Super Exfoliating Beads, mixed in with my own facial cleanser.
What brand do you use?
For cleanser, toner, etc., Physician's Complex. For exfoliator, Mark. For eye makeup remover, I go back and forth between Avon and Boots.

What moisturizer do you use?
I use this gel stuff by Physicians Complex, since my facialist says that a traditional moisturizer would make my skin too oily. I do use a sunscreen in the mornings, though.

Do you have freckles?
A few.
Do you use eye cream?
I don't. Not yet, anyway.

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
Ugh. Yes. I hate it.

Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
Yes. It didn't work. At all. And I followed the steps completely, and used it for quite a while.
What foundation do you use?
The Body Shop All-In-One Face Base

How about concealer?
The Body Shop's Tea Tree Blemish Stick in..01, I believe. Yes, 01.

Do you know your undertone color?

I do not.
What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I think they're pretty awesome, but I suck at putting them on.

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes, I did know. I try to follow that rule.
What brand of mascara do you use?
L'Oreal Voluminous in Carbon Black. Serious HG mascara right there. And I've tried out a ton of mascaras. Nothing expensive, since they're, well, expensive. But I've tried out a ton of drugstore mascaras, and this is by far my favorite.

Sephora or MAC?
I'm definitely becoming a MAC convert. I do love Sephora for non-Sephora brand things, though.
Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
No.
What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
Concealer brush, foundation brush, blush brush, eyelash curler, brow brush thing, occasionally an eyelash comb.

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
No, because I never wear eyeshadow, except for special occasions.
For the face?
Yep.
What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
Gah, I never wear eyeshadow. I do love nice neutrals, like taupes and champagnes, though.
Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
I also never wear eyeliner, since I am not very good at putting it on. When I do wear it, I tend to go with pencil, since I seem to lack the skills needed for applying liquid eyeliner.
How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Never, since I never wear it. I've never poked myself in the eye with an eyeliner pencil, though.

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
I've used them several times, and I like them very much.
Do you use mineral makeup?
I don't. I probably should.
What is your favorite lipstick?
Seriously? How am I supposed to pick just one? Hm. As far as a vampy lipstick goes, MAC Hang-Up. For a neutral, I'd have to go with Laura Mercier in Pink Champagne. For a pink, Korres Mango Butter Lipstick in Pink 14. For a red, Lipstick Queen Medieval. For a wine red, Korres Guava Lipstick in Wine Red. I'm going to stop this list right now, before I list my entire lipstick collection, haha.

How about lipgloss?
I rarely wear lipgloss, because I hate having to reapply all the time. And it's too shiny for my tastes. Despite this, I have a ton of lipgloss, haha.

What is your favorite blush to use?
I've only tried, like, three blushes. I do really like Milani Minerals blush in Luminous, though.

Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
That skeeves me out a little.

Do you like drugstore makeup?
Definitely.
Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
I've never been to one, but I am planning a trip to a nearby CCO for sometime in May.
Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
I considered it once. I think it'd be fun.

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
Not really, no.
Name a makeup crime that you hate?
Foundation line.
Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick, eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
It depends, really. I prefer neutrals for everything except for the lips. I love having great color on my lips.
Which celebrity always has great make up?
Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman. They're gorgeous.
If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?
Oy. Just one? I suppose Dr. Feelgood, then.
Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
I have. I prefer not to, though.
Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
Definitely not.
In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
I haven't tried very many good makeup lines, to be quite honest. As far as drugstore makeup lines go, though, Covergirl kicks some serious butt.
What do you think of Makeup?
I adore makeup!

Review: Sinful Colors Mint Apple.

2010-03-28T19:43:00.005-05:00

I'm just going to say it right now: I love this polish. I absolutely love it! It's a gorgeous minty blue with subtle silver shimmer. Application was a dream. I want to say this was three coats, though I probably could have gotten away with two. I originally was not going to wear this last week, but ended up putting it on after my Rimmel Violet Metal started chipping like crazy on the second day wearing it. I was not happy about that. Wear with Mint Apple was pretty decent. I think I got about four days out of it, but at that point there was only a little tipwear. Honestly, I was just ready for a change, haha.

Oy. Excuse the lobster hands. It's the lighting, I swear!

Everyone is always comparing this polish to Essie's Mint Candy Apple, obviously because the names are so similar. Honestly? I prefer this one. I know they're two completely different colors, but this one just draws me in more. It's just more interesting, to me at least. And it's definitely cheaper, ha. And I also believe that this is part of Sinful's main line now, so it's also much more easily accessible. Don't get me wrong! Essie's Mint Candy Apple is super pretty. And it's a great winter color. I just didn't dig the formula. With Sinful's Mint Apple, the application was amazing.

So, what do you think? Have you had a chance to try this polish out yet? Are you even down with the whole mint trend that's been going on for the past few months?

Easy post: some recent hauls.

2010-03-26T20:09:00.008-05:00

I feel like I haven't done a proper NOTD/Review for a while. I think I've currently got three or four sets of pictures that need to be watermarked, and then I'll be able to do those posts.

I'm feeling completely blah today, though, so I figured I'd just show you all what I've purchased lately. Easy post for all of us, haha.

First, some various mini-hauls. Not even hauls, really.

Avon Rave and Avon Viva Pink, Rimmel Violet Metal, No Miss Boynton Beach Blue, and a random Hello Kitty glitter polish I bought from Target.

Next, Sally's. I got an email about a week ago telling me to go spend 6 more dollars at Sally's this month so I could get a 15% off coupon for next month. And Sally's was still having their China Glaze 2 for $10 deal, and their clearance was buy one, get one free. So.

China Glaze Reggae to Riches, China Glaze Thataway, China Glaze Millenium, Nina Ultra Pro Velvet Seas.

Next up, Walgreen's. I've been wanting to try eos lip balm lately, and Walgreen's stocks it, and it was 2 for $6. And the other day I saw Sally Hansen VIP Pink on a blog, and I wanted it. It looked so girly and pretty!

eos lip balm in Summer Fruit (smells and tastes like peaches), Sally Hansen VIP Pink, eos lip balm in Honeysuckle Honeydew (I don't really get the honeysuckle aspect. Definitely do get the honeydew, though. It's lovely).

Oh! My Nfu-Oh from Lacquer Slacker arrived last week! Behold: Nfu-Oh #56.

So prettyyyy... It's my first Nfu-Oh!

ALSO. I had heard around the blogosphere that Ross was selling all the recent Color Club collections. I decided to check out my two local Ross's, and yes! They were! At the first Ross I found several Pardon My French sets and several Rebel Debutante sets. I only got the PMF, though, since I wasn't drawn to too many of the RD colors.

I then went to the other Ross in town, in search of the Poptastic collection. I didn't find it, but look what I did find! Electro Candy! I was ecstatic.

That's all my haulage lately. I do have a ton of Lush coming soon, though, as well as some items that One offered to send me for review. Oh, and I just placed an order at Evil Shades for two of the new lipsticks, Primrose Path and Diabolical. (If you don't know what Evil Shades is, check it out. It's owned by our very own Andrea/Evil Angel of Black Nail Polish and Lip Gloss!)

Regular posting should commence tomorrow. Oh, also. I added a little box to the sidebar, with all the current contests (that I know of/have entered) for your convenience.

Okay, now I'm going to get off the computer and go finish watching Tarzan. Yes, I am watching Tarzan. My theory is, you can never be too old for Disney movies. (The old-school, animated ones. I don't know what some of this stuff they're putting out now is. It's just ridiculous. And don't even get me started on the downfall of Disney Channel programming.)

Lovely new blog and a lovely giveaway!

2010-03-26T18:43:00.003-05:00

Jasmine recently started a blog, and it's just lovely!

She's also doing a wonderful giveaway full of Hawaiian chocolate. Mm, chocolate..

Click here to check out the contest and her blog!

Question about white polishes.

2010-03-24T21:33:00.005-05:00

I know, I know. I haven't done a real post in days. But weekdays are so busy for me! I promise to get a few things up tomorrow, though. And I'll definitely do a few posts this weekend.

Anyway, my question: What is your favorite affordable white polish?

By this I mean, which white do you use under your neons and sheers? I haven't been able to find a fast-drying, opaque, NON-STREAKY white. I'm thinking I might pick up OPI Alpine Snow Matte, but I'm wondering if the matte finish might affect whatever polish I put on top. And by affordable I mean not RBL Underwear. Because I've heard that one praised all over the place for its wonderful under-polish abilities.

I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering about this, so don't think of it as just helping me. You're helping all of your fellow polish-lovers!

I just figured this would be a good time to ask this, what with all the neons coming out for summer, and all the sheer polishes coming out for wedding season. I know my nails are in no state to go without some sort of opaque or semi-opaque base. They're way too stained, which means I need a nice white to go under my neons that I plan on rocking this summer.

Anyway, just let me know your favorite white in the comments! Thanks!

Another fabulous giveaway at Sawan!

2010-03-23T21:44:00.002-05:00

Laura is celebrating 259+ followers with a SPECTACULAR giveaway. Seriously! Look at all that stuff!

Click here to learn more!

Wonderful giveaway at Angelina's Cafe!

2010-03-23T18:28:00.001-05:00

Look at this adorable necklace!

Click here to learn how to win it!

Never Enough Nails giveaway!

2010-03-23T00:24:00.004-05:00

The lovely ladies over at Never Enough Nails are giving away the entire Zoya Reverie collection!

Click here to check it out.

AllYouDesire 500 Followers Giveaway!

2010-03-21T20:59:00.002-05:00

Lovely giveaway at AllYouDesire!

Click here to learn more.

Nail Addicts Anonymous giveaway!

2010-03-21T13:02:00.002-05:00

The lovely ladies at Nail Addicts Anonymous are having a wonderful giveaway! Seriously, look at all that great stuff!

Click here to learn more.

Kyanvi's Cosmetic giveaway!

2010-03-21T12:58:00.002-05:00

Kyanvi is having a lovely giveaway, which includes several Barry M things. I know I'd love to get my hands on some Barry M! The rest of the prizes are just as wonderful!

Click here to learn more.

Just ordered a slightly huge LUSH haul.

2010-03-20T22:23:00.004-05:00

Meaning, my Trans Design haul will have to wait until later next month. Oh well. :]

The LUSH Haul was mainly because I want to dye my hair once this semester is over, and I wanted to use their henna dye to do this. And I really cannot justify 10+ dollar shipping for one item. So I threw in a few soaps. And a solid perfume. And a dusting powder.

I've also been meaning to clean out all my old, crappy shower gels and replace them with much better stuff. And besides, I have no spring-and-summer scents, and all the scents I ordered are fresh floral or citrusy. ALSO. Many of the soaps I got are prone to melting, and I figured I'd better get these now, or else face the wrath of the coming heat. So there. I have justified it for myself.

Hehe, and I just love LUSH.

But, yeah, this means that Trans Design order will be placed at the end of next month, but that'll be nice. It'll be like a little, "Hey, congrats on finishing your first year of college and not dropping out!" gift to myself.

Konad: Milani Hi-Tech and Sally Hansen Grass Slipper with Plate m41

2010-03-19T21:15:00.007-05:00

As you all know, I ordered my first Konading supplies about two weeks ago. I actually did this Konadicure the day I got the kit. I practiced a little bit on a piece of paper first, and then I decided to just go for it.

I already had Milani Hi-Tech on my nails, and I've been wanting to try out Grass Slipper, so I decided to do a tone-on-tone Konadicure, since I love that look. Grass Slipper is super pigmented, so it worked really well with konading.

I really love how this turned out, especially for my first time konading. It was subtle, but still really pretty.

And here's one with flash:

Please click the pictures to get a better look at the design.

Green polish roundup!

2010-03-19T16:29:00.008-05:00

I know, I know. This is about two days late. But, hey, better late than never, right?

I've actually been wanting to do some posts like this for a while, and St. Patrick's Day finally motivated me to get out my greens and do some tape swatches. I would have done nail swatches, but my nails are already in a somewhat horrible condition. I can't even imagine what they would have been like after that.

I've broken these swatches down into three sections: darks and mediums, brights and lights, and blue-toned.

First up: Darks and mediums

The polishes: Sephora for OPI Dark Room, Zoya Envy, Orly Enchanted Forest, Zoya Suvi, Zoya Irene, Rimmel Camouflage

Dark Room, Envy, Enchanted Forest (I apologize for the crazy smudges on Dark Room and Enchanted Forest. I had put too much polish on the tape, and it was running onto my skin, haha.)

Suvi, Irene, Camouflage

A better shot of Camouflage

Next: Brights and lights

The polishes: Sinful Colors Irish Green, Sally Hansen Grass Slipper, Sinful Colors Call You Later, Milani Hi-Tech, Milani Key Lime Shine, L.A. Colors Green Satin

Irish Green, Grass Slipper, Call You Later, Hi-Tech, Key Lime Shine, Green Satin

Irish Green (accurate swatch. Had to be taken with flash, though.), Grass Slipper, Call You Later

Hi-Tech, Key Lime Shine, Green Satin (which is supposedly a Chanel Jade dupe. As I don't own Jade, I can't comment on this. It is a super-pretty color, though.

)

And lastly: Blue-toned greens

The polishes: Essie Mint Candy Apple, Sinful Colors Mint Apple, Sinful Colors Green Ocean (which is just a weird color in general), OPI Jade Is The New Black (which isn't exactly blue-toned, but I didn't know where to put it in the rest of the greens)

Mint Candy Apple, Mint Apple, Green Ocean, Jade Is The New Black

Comparison of Mint Candy Apple and Mint Apple

I realized after doing all this that I forgot to include Sally Hansen Jumpin' Jade. Oops! It's very similar to Zoya Suvi, though, just with slight teal undertones.

(And yes, I know, the polish in these swatches is still wet. But this is what they'd look like with a topcoat. And besides, I wasn't patient enough to leave the tape on my arm until the polish dried, haha.)

Sorry!

2010-03-18T22:52:00.001-05:00

I'm so sorry I haven't posted my greens yet! Let's just say I'm fashionably late on posting them, yes? Haha, anyway. I'll get my posts up tomorrow. This week has just been insane. I had two papers due, a stats test, a stats quiz, stats homework, and on top of all that, I was sick with a migraine and a fever on Wednesday. This week has been horrible, ha.

But it's officially the weekend (for me)! Yay! Anyway, yes. I will get some posts up tomorrow. :]

- Jean

Another question!

2010-03-16T20:49:00.004-05:00

I'm attempting to plan out my TransDesign order ahead of time, so that I'm not sidetracked by shiny things and pretty colors, haha.

So, here's my question: What are your favorite Color Club polishes?

I'm planning on getting Rebel Debutante and Pucci-licious, but I'm wondering if there are any others I absolutely need. (Other than Revvvolution, I mean. I've got my charcoal holo needs satiated (for now) with Diamond Cosmetics Chainmail Charm. :] )

I don't own any Color Clubs, but I've been wanting to get some for quite a while. I'd greatly appreciate your opinions!

And yes, I know, I haven't done a real post in a few days. I plan to do two or three tomorrow, though! All greens, in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

Little question for you all.

2010-03-15T22:10:00.003-05:00

Okay, so, I've been searching for nail color display wheel things everywhere, and I finally found exactly what I was looking for at TransDesign, Inc.

I also saw they were getting the China Glaze Poolside collection in on April 1, and I'm seriously lemming Sun Worshipper.

And then there's their extensive Color Club selection, and I've been wanting Rebel Debutante so badly.

And their polishes are so cheap!!

Anyway, my question is: Have you ever ordered from TransDesign? How much is their shipping? All that their website lists is the international shipping, which doesn't help me one bit. (Though it did shock me at first. I was like, "WHOA, WAIT, WHAT?! 18 DOLLARS FOR SHIPPING? WHA-Oh. That's international.")

I'd greatly appreciate tales of your experiences with TransDesign!

Review: Benefit Dr. Feelgood

2010-03-12T09:20:00.010-06:00

Okay. Technically Dr. Feelgood is supposed to be used as a makeup setter. I use it as a primer, though, since I hate all other primers I've tried. Dr. Feelgood is a translucent, mattifying "complexion balm" meant to smooth pores and fine lines. In my experience, it has done exactly what it's supposed to do. I put this on before I put on any other makeup. And I only put on a LIGHT layer. This is key with this product. If you put a ton on, you'll be able to feel it, and you'll be able to see it, and it'll be flaky and gross. You only need to use enough to get by. And remember: You can always go back and get more product if you end up not having enough on the sponge.

I know many people have complained about breaking out because of this product and have completely written it off and have told other people to write it off, as well. Now, listen, I get the whole "breaking-out" thing. My skin is crazy, too. Yes, I encourage you to stop using a product if it causes you to break out. But everyone's skin is different. The only thing you can really do is try a product for yourself.

Overall, I love this product. I love the Vitamin E and C, which help to create a smooth base for my makeup, and, actually, I have gone out in public with just this product on my face, and with a little mascara, and have felt perfectly fine. It is a clear product, which is great. All other primers I've used have had a weird tint to them which never matched my super-pale skin. It does have a light scent to it, sort of lemony and powdery I guess, but the scent doesn't bother me. Also, let me note the packaging really quickly. It's adorable. Now, I'm a sucker for things in cute vintage tins. This has got to be one of the best I've seen.

Do I recommend this product? Definitely. It makes my skin silky and smooth, it takes away the oiliness and shininess of my skin, it's cute, and it works. It's not cheap, at $28.00, but a little goes a long way, and I've had my tin of it for over five months and have barely used any of it. I bought mine at Sephora, but it's available for purchase at Benefit's website, as well as many other retailers and etailers.

(Image via Google. My own product is in no state to be photographed.)

Aussie giveaway!

2010-03-12T09:02:00.001-06:00

Toxin is having a great giveaway with some great prizes!

Click here to find out more.

Hooray for new comments system!

2010-03-12T01:08:00.004-06:00

Okay, so I finally decided to install a commenting system. This one is so much better, in that I can actually reply individually to your comments, and it will tab over and we'll be able to have conversations and whatnot much easier. I'm quite excited, because I love talking to you all, but Blogger's default comment system is so incompatible with that! Hopefully this new system will fix that. And I already tested it out, and it seems to be working fine, so, fingers crossed that it continues working!

EDIT: I also added pages to the top bar area thing. My blog was looking really cluttered, so I decided to clean it up a bit. I'm liking these improvements very much.

tokidoki at Sephora.

2010-03-11T22:01:00.006-06:00

So, here's something that not many people know about me: I used to be way into anime. Well, manga mostly, but I did watch some anime. I still kind of am. Most of my favorite movies are Miyazaki. I have piles of manga under my bed. I love Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, other RPGs. In general, I just love the vibe of anime. I don't ever really watch it anymore (nor do I ever read manga anymore), but it was a huge part of my tween years. (Sidenote: I was at a library today with my mom, my brother, and my nephew and we were in the children's area. They had coloring pages. Of Sailor Moon. It was awesome.)

This is the draw to tokidoki for me (aside from the adorable name). Oh, and their packaging is cute-but-still-tough. And so many colors! Seriously, they're not shy of the colors, which is awesome in today's world of reds and pinks and peaches. We need more bright colors! Viva la..colors! (I didn't take Italian, so forgive me for not knowing what "colors" is in Italian, haha.)

Anyway, it's not the makeup that's drawing me to their line. It's these:

In particular, this one:

I've been trying to find some cute little bags for makeup and other odds and ends in my purse. This thing is adorable. But alas. 20 dollars. Maybe someday, eh?

Click here to see all of the tokidoki at Sephora line.

Double Review: Orly Prim and Proper and OPI Absolutely Alice

2010-03-11T00:36:00.007-06:00

First up, Prim and Proper.

This polish..oh, this polish. I wanted to like it. I really, really did. But it just looked weird with my skintone, and it was brushstrokey, and it just was weird overall. I put it on because I was really in the need for something girly and feminine. I think this was almost too feminine, haha. It's a light, light, light metallic lavender frost. The formula was pretty good, and it dried well, but it's just too..something. Not my style.

I don't know. I guess I'm just not really into this finish of polish. It was pretty, sure. Just..not for me. (By the way, the pictures are color-accurate.)

Next, Absolutely Alice.

Sadly, I only have one picture for you. This polish is so gorgeous, but I had so many problems with it. First of all, the formula was gloopy. I expect that with glitter polishes but this one was overly gloopy. Dry time was amazing, though I had to use three coats for full coverage. I needed this polish to last for a week, since I wanted to wear it for the Alice in Wonderland midnight premiere. Now, I'm not stupid. I knew I'd have to touch it up a little bit before going to the premiere. But this polish.. It peeled off in huge chips on the second day. By the fourth day, it was even worse. I had to touch it up so many times, sometimes having to completely redo some nails. I ended up just chipping it all off on Friday morning. It's frustrating, because it's so pretty. My picture really does not do it justice.

It's a gorgeous cobalt blue glitter with gold glitter dispersed throughout. First of all, I'm sorry about the state of my cuticles. Second, I'm sorry about the fact that I'm only showing three nails. I had already started chipping if off by this point. Third, I'm sorry for the raggedy edges on my nails. In addition to the polish chipping off, my nails also started breaking like crazy. It was just not a good week, haha. So, overall, love the color, hate the formula. But it's a glitter. What can you do?

Wonderful giveaway!

2010-03-10T23:50:00.003-06:00

Zuzu is having an amazing giveaway for reaching 250+ followers.

Click here to find out more!

Claire's Mood Polish giveaway!

2010-03-10T23:32:00.003-06:00

Laura at Sawan is having a great giveaway! She's giving away a set of five Claire's mood polishes to three lucky winners. These polishes look so cute. I remember when I was younger, I absolutely loved mood everything. Mood polish, mood necklaces, mood rings, et cetera, et cetera.

Click here to learn more!

NOTW/Review: Orly Cashmere Cardigan with OPI Mad As A Hatter

2010-03-10T14:48:00.007-06:00

This was my NOTW from several weeks ago, and I absolutely loved it. Seriously, it was just so pretty and girly and shiny. I got the idea from Little Music Boxes, who did it with OPI A Grape Fit! I thought that this had the same vibe, just a little lighter.

Blurred to show glitter.

I just loved this combination. The beautiful periwinkle creme Orly really brought out the purple glitter in MAAH. The formulas on both of these polishes was great. The Orly dried super-fast, and it only took two coats for a smooth finish. The OPI also was only two coats, though if I was going to wear it on a bare nail, I'd probably want to go with three coats. It dried quickly, as well, which is a plus to glitter. I only did one nail of this polish, though, because I didn't want to deal with having to remove a whole manicure's worth of glitter, haha. It wore fairly well, and like I said before, it was so pretty.

Amazing giveaway at Nail Junkie!

2010-03-09T22:50:00.003-06:00

Lyra from Nail Junkie is having her first giveaway. It's absolutely amazing!

Click here to check it out.

Review: OPI Jade Is The New Black

2010-03-09T21:56:00.005-06:00

Yeah, I know, everyone and their mother has posted this color already. But it's just so pretty! JITNB is a gorgeous darker-end-of-the-spectrum jade green. It's pure creme, too. Like, seriously, the formula was flawless. It just flowed onto my nail. OPI's really got the formula down with their cremes, don't they? Wear on this one was amazing, too. I had it on for seven days with minor, MINOR tip wear. I only took it off because I was bored with it.

Color in these pictures is spot-on. Both the polish and my skintone. Yes! Finally, my skin color isn't all wonky! We've been having decent weather lately, so I was actually able to get outside and get some sun pictures. Ha, it's ironic that I say we've been having nice weather, since it's storming like crazy right now. But last week? It was so pretty. And I actually got a sunburn on Saturday! I forgot what the sun felt like, haha. I am pretty bummed about this rain we're going to be getting for the next few days, though. I was supposed to go to the zoo with a few friends tomorrow, but we can't now, because of the rain. I haven't been to the zoo in over a year, because it actually closed at some point last year, but now it's under the management of a new owner and is open again.

Anyway, yes. This polish is amazing. I most definitely recommend it. It was the only one that I purchased from the OPI Hong Kong collection, but after I left Ulta I started regretting not getting Meet Me On The Star Ferry. Luckily for me, I won it in a contest! I haven't gotten it yet, but I can't wait until I do.

Haulage, and some stash pictures.

2010-03-07T18:52:00.006-06:00

Warning: This post is extremely picture-heavy.

Now, these did not all happen at once. These are hauls from the past..month or so? Yes, I think that's right. And they're all very small, so. I was going to do a few reviews, but my head is killing, and the sunburn I got yesterday at the Renaissance Faire is making me insanely tired. I'm not used to the sun! It's been gone for so long. I didn't remember what it felt like, haha.

Okay, first up the Valentine's present my mom got me. The Give Me Some Lip set from Sephora!

All of the colors are so, so pretty. They're going to be great for spring and summer, when it becomes time to break out the bright lip colors again. I especially love the first one (Benefit Posietint in Poppy Pink), the third from the left (Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Doug), and the fourth from the left (Korres Mango Butter Lipstick SPF 10 in Pink 14).

Also in this order from Sephora, I got Sephora by OPI in High Maintenance. It's a gorgeous orangey-red. I was a little worried that I would have a color similar to it, since I have so many reds, but I don't have a single one like it! It's much more orange than my other reds.

Okay! Next up, Milani Hi-Tech. My mom texted me about a week ago about seeing these in CVS (finally!), and she offered to take me to CVS before class on Monday (last monday) to get it.

Not color accurate! It's much more of a bright yellow-green, like a grass green or something. It's so bright and pretty.

Also last month, my order from Billion Dollar Babes finally came! This is the Orly Prepster set, which I got for about 20 dollars, instead of the retail price of..40-something? 50-something? I can't quite remember.

I also took advantage of the Zoya "buy 10 dollars worth of stuff, get 2 polishes free" NYFW sale. That order came a while back, as well.

This is Akyra, Gwin, and Get Even base coat. The other polish I got was Anastasia, which I ordered for my mom. She already had it at this point, and I didn't feel like going and finding it, haha.

A couple weeks ago I went to the mall, in search of Gap Grass EDT and Mac Cremesheen Lipstick in Hang-Up. I found them! They're both absolutely wonderful.

This EDT is so fresh and crisp and green. It's amazingly refreshing, and perfect for summer.

This lipstick is super dark and purpley in the tube, but when it goes on, it's a beautiful dark berry.

Last, but certainly not least, a little Sally's haul. I went in there on Friday because I had a 15% off coupon. When I got there, I found out that China Glaze polishes were 2 for $10, and that my Sally's had finally gotten in the Up and Away collection. Now, if you recall, I had previously said that when I saw these in Ulta, I wasn't really drawn to any of them. I changed my mind, though, at Sally's. I ended up getting Grape Pop and Something Sweet, the two that drew me to the collection way back when it first came out, before I ever saw it in person. These both are super pretty and seem to be excellently pigmented. I haven't tried them yet, though.

This picture really washes them out. They're much prettier in person.

Okay! Time for some stash pictures. I always love looking at pictures of people's amazing polish stashes, and I figured I should share mine. It's miniscule compared to some, but I love it very much.

Side view. I just use a 10 dollar snap container thing that I bought at Target. I need to get another one soon, though, because this one is pretty much full. (Oy. Sorry about the messy counter. I didn't realize it was that horrible until after I posted this.)

Top layer. These are all of my tried polishes. They originally were in color order, but then I was running out of space and just started putting polishes in where I could fit them. Hence the periwinkle in with the oranges and reds.

Bottom layer. Untrieds, base coats, and top coats (as well as other various nail care products, like Seche Restore and whatnot). These were organized by color, as well, but then they got all messed up when I moved the box. Now they're sort of organized by brand, but not really.

Well, that's it for now! I'm slowly catching up on my posting again. Now I'm going to go try to sleep off this crazy headache. Tomorrow I'm going to this little game store and trading in my old Game Cube and a few games and probably going to get Final Fantasy X and perhaps a few others. Then I'm coming back to my house with a few friends and were having a paper bead-making party! I'll try to get a few pictures, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

For fun.

2010-03-07T02:21:00.003-06:00

I figured I'd do one of these, just for fun. I've acquired several new followers lately, and I think it's nice to have a sense of the person on the other side of the computer screen, no?

A- Available: Yep.

B- Best Friend: I have three.

C- Color Of Your Room: Yellow. Bright, lemon yellow.

D- Dad’s Name: Larry.

E- Easiest Person To Talk To: Amanda, Rachel.

F- Favorite Food: Lemon yogurt or applesauce. Mm, applesauce.

G- Gummy Bears Or Worms: Sour gummy worms, definitely.

H- Hometown: I'm not quite comfortable with posting that. :]

I- Instrument: I played the piano in elementary school and the clarinet in middle school. I don't play anything anymore.

J- Job: No job, sadly.

K- Kids: Definitely not.

L- Longest Car Ride: I don't even know. I've been on a lot of long car rides in my life.

. M- Milk Flavor: Regular. Though chocolate soy milk is delicious.

N- Number Of Siblings: Two older brothers.

O- One Wish: To make it.

P- Phobias: Spiders. Spiders. Spiders.

Q- Favorite Quote: I have many, but here's just one: “There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.” - Ursula K. Le Guin.

R- Reason To Smile: I'm living. I'm breathing. I have a roof over my head, clothes, food, friends, indulgences.

S- Song You Last Heard: "Journey of the Featherless," by Cloud Cult.

T- Time You Woke Up: 9:50 AM.

U- Unknown Fact About Me: I've never seen any of the Matrix movies in their entirety.

W- Worst Habits: Worrying, stressing, mild panic attacks.

X- X-Rays You’ve Had: Ankle, teeth, and I know I've had others. I just can't think of them.

Y- Your Favorite Pastime: Reading.

Z- Zodiac Sign: Capricorn.

Triple Review: One Hair Biscuit solid shampoo, One Hair Boost solid conditioner, and One Nighty-Nite After Shower Skin Conditioner.

2010-03-06T18:45:00.009-06:00

Earlier this week, Recessionista! at Nouveau Cheap alerted everyone to all-new bath and body products at Target (click here and here for her posts on the new products). Included are Kings & Queens bath and body products, Savour bath and body products, and One bath and body products. I was able to head over to Target yesterday and check them out and let me just say: They're all AMAZING. Everything smelled so, so good. I came home with a Kings & Queens mini set that has five of their favorite shower gels in it (Review on this coming soon. But let me just say, they're awesome. They really are.), One Hair Biscuit solid shampoo, One Hair Boost solid conditioner, and One Nighty-Nite After Shower Skin Conditioner. Let me just say, I could not wait to take a shower last night, haha.

Let's start off with the solid shampoo. I've been searching for a solid shampoo for quite some time, mainly because I was curious. My Target had two One solid shampoos to choose from, Squeaky Clean (for oily hair), and Hair Biscuit (for yummy looking hair). Now, my hair really isn't that oily, (In fact, it's quite the opposite. It can get kind of weird with certain products, though.) so I went with the Hair Biscuit. Now, "yummy looking hair" can mean many things. Does it add volume? Does it add shine? What? And there's not really a description on the back of the container about the product. I decided to give it a go anyway, though. First impression: the scent is amazing. It's sort of clovey and warm, but not overpowering. It has a distinct scent, but it's just really natural and pretty. I wish One would give a list of what their ingredients mean by "Fragrance," though.

Okay, onto usage. Now, I've never used a solid shampoo before, so I wasn't exactly sure how to do it. According to the directions on the back of the container, you get your hair wet, then run the circular bar over your head about four times, lather it up, and rinse it out. Lather with this shampoo is amazing. It felt so good, and it actually soaped up really well. The directions don't say to repeat, but I did anyway, since I always do.

Next, I got out the solid conditioner. The scent on this, as my mother put it, is like "cloves with a bit of bubblegum." This is pretty accurate. The bubblegum smell isn't overpowering, though, and once it goes on your head, it no longer really smells like bubblegum. Once again, I'd love to know what "Fragrance" means. I like to know what my hair smells like. Usage on this one was pretty similar to the shampoo, except, obviously, this goes on second. Just rub over your hair, work it through, and rinse it out. Now, I hardly ever use conditioner. Like I said above, my hair can get kind of crazy with the wrong shampoo or conditioner, so I really was going out on a limb with these. If the conditioner is too creamy or two moisturizing or whatever, my hair will get limp and oily. It's strange. The formula of this solid conditioner was quite nice, though. It was creamy, but not overly so.

I love both the shampoo and the conditioner. I let my hair air dry last night, and this shampoo and conditioner gave my hair—my pin-straight hair—waves. Waves! Pretty, soft waves. And my hair is so soft today. These products didn't weigh it down whatsoever, and I don't seem to have any buildup that can sometimes happen with certain shampoos or conditioners. I don't quite have the volume that I normally like, but that can be fixed by adding a little product to my hair after I get out of the shower. What's also really great about the solid shampoo and conditioner is that each of the little round bars contains the same amount of product as three 8-oz. bottles. And all of the packaging is recyclable, which I love also.

I did my normal shower routine, then got out, finished up my face routine, and then got out the skin conditioner. This bar is made specifically to be used after a shower or bath, right before bedtime. It has a great lavender scent that isn't too heavy, as lavender can sometimes be. Basically, you rub this bar all over, focusing on dry areas, and it is supposed to moisturize your skin overnight, and the scent is meant to relax you and help you ease into sleep. Oh, and the scent..oh my word. I felt like curling up in a blanket and just inhaling this scent forever. It was so, so nice. The formula of the bar was great, too. Creamy but solid, but not so solid that it couldn't glide on properly. According to the One website, they have one other bar, meant solely for moisturizing. Overall, I love this thing. I absolutely love it.

I'm so happy with my experience with this new (to me) brand. Their products are natural, eco-friendly, and high-quality, all for a great price. The solid shampoo was, if I remember correctly, about $6.99, as was the solid conditioner. I feel like the skin conditioner bar was about the same.

Click here to find out more about One Bath and Body.

(All pictures from http://www.onebathandbody.com/. I was unable to get proper photos of my products, and all the photos on their website are accurate to what the actual product looks like.)

(EDIT: Yeah..I originally (ACCIDENTALLY) wrote that I hardly ever use shampoo. Let me fix that (just in case you've already read my post and noticed that glaring error). I hardly ever use CONDITIONER. I most definitely always use shampoo, hahah.)

Konad plate giveaway at painted Lady fingers!

2010-03-05T21:33:00.002-06:00

Amazing giveaway at painted Lady fingers!

One winner will receive the eight recently-released Konad image plates (M75, M76, M77, M78, M79, M80, M81, and S10).

Click here for more info!

Really quick update.

2010-03-05T05:28:00.004-06:00

It's currently 5:28 AM. I should be asleep, and yet. I'm not. I went to see "Alice in Wonderland" at midnight with a few friends, and now I just can't seem to be able to get to sleep. So what better way to pass the time than to give you guys a little update, right?

Well, it's officially spring break for me. Hooray! It's going to be great, having one stress-free week. I am planning on really catching up on my blogging.

I've got..let's see. Threeish NOTWs to show you, and a few tiny hauls. I also really want to get some makeup reviews in (such as my new amazing MAC Hang-Up lipstick).

Oh! And I've won a few contests lately! From polishSWATCHES, I won my choice of the new OPI Hong Kong collection, and I chose Meet Me On the Star Ferry. And then from Lacquer Slacker, I won Nfu-Oh #56. My first Nfu-Oh! Hooray!

Also..I was bad. Again. Here's the thing. I've been dying to try out the whole Konad thing. I've been toying with the idea of ordering for some time now, and was originally going to get the Coraline kit. But then I realized, I wouldn't use it very much. So the idea went to the back of my mind. But with all this talk these past few days of the Konad blogger coupons not working soon, I decided I better get to it and put in an order at OC Nail Art. So I did. I ended up getting the starter kit, which contains a stamper, scraper, special white polish, and plate M2. I also really wanted a plate with a butterfly, and so I got M41, as well, since I also really liked the floral designs on that one. The basket and hat are so not me though, haha. Anyway, I'm super excited to use those! I'm happy I finally broke down, because with the 30% discount, it was so inexpensive.

So yay! Expect my first (probably really horrible) attempts at nail art soonish! Well, whenever I get my order.

Okay. I should really try to get some sleep now. I've got to get up in about five hours and redo my nails before I go visit a few friends from high school.

- Jean

Another amazing giveaway!

2010-03-03T21:34:00.001-06:00

Laquermaniac is having a fabulous giveaway that includes all sorts of gorgeous polishes, including a Chanel, a Nfu-Oh, and tons of others!

Click here to check it out!

Pi Day giveaway at Little Music Boxes!

2010-03-03T21:27:00.003-06:00

Probably one of my favorite nail blogs, Little Music Boxes, is having an absolutely amazing giveaway in honor of Pi Day (March 14). Included in the prizes are several China Glaze polishes (He's Going in Circles and Fortune Teller), Icing Blackout, Maybelline Vanishing Venus, LA Girl Rock Star polish in Double Platinum, and several Nubar polishes (Wildlife and Pasadena Purple).

The deadline is 3/14, and I seriously encourage you to check it out soon.

Click here for more info.

Wow!

2010-03-02T11:44:00.004-06:00

I just realized that I reached 50 followers today. Thank you all so, so much! I really wish I could do a great giveaway or something, but I'm really in no position to do that. I'm a student—a jobless student, at that—whose scholarship doesn't even cover all her classes, and doesn't even touch the cost of her books. I'm also attempting to save up for a trip to Disney with a few friends this summer, though I don't know if that's going to happen, seeing as all of us are jobless right now. Oy. Anyway! Enough with that! I just really want to thank you all for your support, and your comments, and everything. Really. I started this blog a few months ago just for fun. I never expected to get two followers, much less 50. I love you all for this!

Also, thank you for putting up with my sporadic posting lately. School has been crazy. Again. I'm actually supposed to be working on my midterm for Philosophy of Sci-Fi right now, haha. Next week is spring break, so hopefully I'll be able to crank out a good number of posts. I've got quite a few manicures and things that I need to post.

Well, that's it for now. Time to go work on that paper. Again, thank you all so much for following me!

My Illamasqua dream color?

2010-03-01T21:59:00.013-06:00

It reflects desert flora. The contrast of the bright red-orange Indian paintbrushes, bluebonnets, wildflowers, and thorny cacti, intruding into the flowers, all thrust against a shockingly blue sky.

Feminine, but with a distinct rustic edge. Bright, red-orange polish with sky blue, purple, golden yellow, and grass green shimmer.

(All images via Google.)

Giveaway over at Chromatic Misadventures!

2010-03-01T18:32:00.002-06:00

Claudia of Chromatic Misadventures is having a wonderful giveaway in celebration of reaching 100 followers. The winner will receive many oldies-but-goodies (Revlon StreetWears, Maybelline Colorama [Sidenote: So mad I threw mine away! In my defense, I was young and didn't know any better.], as well as others). Love it!

Click here to find out more.

Monday poll, via Makeup and Beauty Blog.

2010-02-22T19:57:00.004-06:00

I got this from the amazing Makeup and Beauty Blog, and I decided to do it just for fun.

1. Mood: Kind of horrible. I barely slept last night, and then I skipped my last class today because I was feeling sick. Like, really sick. And this is not a good time for me to be sick, because I have a midterm due this week, as well as a stats quiz, and then a midterm due next week.

2. A beauty product you couldn’t live without? Only one? Gah. I'm going to have to say my rosebud salve. I cannot stand having chapped lips. (Close second and third would be concealer and mascara, though. And primer. Gah, I really cannot pick just one.)

3. Socks with high heels — yay or nay? Nay. Well, eh. It depends, I guess. I know I can't pull it off. But some girls, who have that quirky cute style, and who wear super cute socks with, like, heart prints or whatever, can totally pull it off. It looks adorable.

4. Today’s morning beverage? Water. I wish it had been coffee.

5. Eyes/lips/cheeks: Sephora Lash Plumper mascara (I think that's what it is..I got it in that birthday gift thing, and I have no idea where the packaging is.)/Smith's Rosebud Salve/Milani Minerals blush in Luminous

6. What makeup do you have in your purse right now? Whatever is in my makeup bag. That would be three or four lipsticks, my rosebud salve, three mascaras, foundation, blush, Dr. Feelgood, eyebrow pencil/highlighter, uh..I know there's more, I just can't think of it.

7. The highlight of your weekend? Going to see "Valentine's Day" with a few friends.

8. When was the last time you went window shopping for makeup? I go online window shopping all the time, haha. Today it was at Avon, and a bit at Sephora.

9. Outfit: Really old Gap jeans that are actually my painting pants, but they're also the most comfortable pants I own, so I wear them when I'm feeling under the weather, and a navy blue tank top from Old Navy. I had on a gray sweater, but I took it off.

10. Weekly goals: Do well on my Spanish oral, finish my Ethics midterm ahead of time, get most of my Phil. of Sci-Fi midterm out of the way, get my Stats quiz finished ahead of time, update nail polish spreadsheet, clean my room, go to the mall at some point to check out the Bath and Body Works sale and the Old Navy sale, start rewatching "Dollhouse" in preparation for my Phil. of Sci-Fi presentation in a few months, iron out (potential) spring break plans.