Year: 2012

Of Life and Lacquer > 2012

I’m Blue!

Posted on by Cynthia

How many of you remember Blue? This is the first song that pops into my mind when I think of Euro dance tracks. I was reminded of this song when I decided to do a blue comparison after Vienna from Nail Polish Required asked me how Sephora by OPI Blue Grotto compared to OPI Dating A Royal. If you’re a glitter lover, you have to check out her blog!

I decided to compare three colors: Essie Mesmerize, OPI Dating A Royal and Sephora by OPI Blue Grotto.

As you can see, there are very slight differences between these polishes. Essie Mesmerize is the lightest one of the three and also has the best formula since you can get away with one coat. OPI Dating A Royal is a tiny bit darker than Mesmerize and it also has the sheerest formula out of the three. It needs 3 coats and it can be kind of watery. Sephora By OPI Blue Grotto is the darkest and smokiest color of the three. It has a pretty good formula but I still find it kind of streaky like most SOPI polishes. I won’t even say how annoying I find the brush. Do you really need all three? Probably not but will you want all three if you are blue lover like me? Duh!

Essie Sure Shot Resort Collection 2012

Posted on by Cynthia

I had Essie on the brain when I woke up today so I went to look the Resort Collection. Since my usual nail place hiked up their prices on Essie products, I ventured out to a couple of new stores. It paid off because I got these for $3.50 each. Score! I don’t know if it’s just me, but these colors don’t look like a cohesive collection. The colors seem to be all over the place, but I still like them individually.

Pink-a-boo is the one color I was not that excited about. However, I really like it! Essie is known for all their soft pastel shades so they really know how to do them right. I had read that this was a nightmare to apply, but I did not have any major problems with it. It’s soft and milky pink with some iridescent glitter. You can see the pink and lavender tinge of the glitter in the bottle, but it doesn’t show up much on the nail. Because it is so light and sheer, I needed 3 coats.  This color just seems classy to me.

Sure Shot is such a juicy color, j-j-j-juicy!

How awesome would it be if this song played whenever you entered a room wearing Sure Shot on your nails? Hahaha! Am I a weirdo? This hot like magma fuschia is absolutely gorgeous. It has fine shimmer throughout which makes it look even…juicier! I didn’t have any problems with application and 2 coats were all I needed.

She’s Picture Perfect was such a weird looking color when I first saw the bottle. It’s grayish lavender/lilac and kinda blue all at once. Then it has that hot pink shimmer that doesn’t seem to fit. This one was an absolute nightmare to apply. I don’t know if it was just my bottle but it was just so difficult to work with.  I actually applied it and removed it twice before I took pictures of it. It was so streaky and gross. Ugh! I hate it when I get a dud like this. I still think it’s a unique color so I am not giving up on it. I will just have to mentally prepare myself for frustration when I decide to wear it.

No More Film is a creme. I love cremes. I don’t know if I love this one. It has some purple in it so I should love it, but I just don’t know. I definitely love how saturated the formula is. I could have applied just one coat–that’s how thick and pigmented it is–but I applied 2 thin coats out of habit. I had to work super carefully with this because I did not want to get any on my cuticles. Can you imagine what the clean up would be like for a formula this dark and pigmented? AAAARRGGHHHH! I am not sure of how many similar colors I may have so I’m glad I picked it up. Now that I think of it, I don’t think I really have something close to this indigo creme.

Overall, it’s an interesting collection but nothing I am totally in love with. What do you think about these colors? Do you have a favorite?

I Got Tag Teamed!

Posted on by Cynthia

Yeah, get your mind out of the gutter. I was tagged by Amanda and Nicole to complete this set of questions. I think it’s a cool way to get to know the people behind blogs that I frequent! So here I go.

11 Things About MOI

1) I am the oldest of my siblings and have two brothers. I have never really wanted a sister. When my youngest brother was born, I was 10 years old and I can still remember the second my dad called us to tell us that he had been born. It was 5:45 pm and my brother and I were watching Mr. Belvedere. Once my dad told us it was a boy (my parents wanted to wait to find out the sex of the baby), we both jumped around from couch to couch with joy.

2) I think all babies are ugly. Well, 99% of them are ugly. I think they start looking cute at around 6 months.

3) I spent my junior year of college in Paris. It was interesting.

4) One time I went to a movie by myself while I was in Paris. I thought it was some kind of artsy film, but it ended up being some kind of weird scatological porn. I only realized this after like 30 minutes into the movie and after I realized I was the only girl in the theater with 6 other weird guys. Yeah, it was scary.

5) I once went to North Africa by myself…on a whim. I spent a week in Tunisia and just looked around, went to museums and went shopping. It was awesome but kinda scary too.

6) On my second trip to North Africa, my friend and I went to Morocco. She wanted to get a picture with a monkey and a guy was walking around with one. The monkey got kinda crazy and started attacking her while she screamed at me to take the picture. I was laughing and screaming too hard to even take the picture. I went over to try to help her and I think the monkey scratched me. I had a scratch on my arm that took FOREVER to go away and at one point it looked kinda black. I thought I had Ebola or something.

7) I speak English, Spanish, passable French, can read Italian and speak tourist Italian. I’d really like to learn how to speak Arabic.

8) I love cheese. If I could eat cheese all day long, I probably would. My mouth waters to think of blocks of camembert, gruyere, cotija, sharp cheddar, parmesan, romano, gouda…ahhhhhhhhhh!

9) I hate, hate, hate driving. I wish I lived in a city where I could get around without owning a car. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen any time soon in Southern California.

10) The best gift I ever received was from my best friend. (Don’t let your head get too big when you read this, freak!) He picked items that had so much meaning: a cute little wallet to make up for the wallet that someone stole from me on our trip to Italy; a cute pillow to remind me of falling asleep on the train; some savon de marseille to remind me that our final destination was Marseille. It was totally sweet and meant the world to me.

11) I used to have a lot of episodes of sleep paralysis which made me feel like I was going crazy. If you’ve never heard of sleep paralysis, here is scientific explanation: Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions, you may be unable to move or speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes. Some people may also feel pressure or a sense of choking. Sleep paralysis may accompany other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is an overpowering need to sleep caused by a problem with the brain’s ability to regulate sleep. I had hallucinations where I thought I felt something climb on top of me and try to choke me. Has this ever happened to you?

Ok, so now that you all think I’m a total weirdo, here are the 11 questions from Nicole over at Polish Me, Please!

  1. When did you start your blog? I started blogging November 2011.
  2. What is your go-to nail look? Anything purple, actually. Purple makes me happy.One time I was working out with my trainer and he asked me what made me happy, and I said the color purple. He responded that he had never seen the movie. LOL
  3. Would you rather: Have your nails cut down to the nail bed for the rest of your life OR never wear makeup again? I would rather have my nails cut down to the nail bed since I hate long nails. I don’t wear make up every single day but I still use it fairly regularly.
  4. What is one thing you wish you would have known as a teen than you know now? I wish I had known how much my parents love me so I wouldn’t have acted like such a turd.
  5. If you could only have 3 nail products/polishes for the rest of your life, what would they be? China Glaze Grape Pop, OPI Ski Teal We Drop, Sally Hansen Cuticle Remover
  6. What is one album you could listen to on repeat and never get sick of? Alanis Morissette’s MTV Unplugged
  7. What is one of your pet peeves? People who say “lie-berry” for “library”
  8. What would be your perfect day? My perfect day would involve spending quality time with people I love.
  9. Do your family and friends know about your blog? Only a handful of friends/family know about my blog and they have been sworn to secrecy due to some of the very personal stuff I sometimes write.
  10. What is the last song you listened to OR the song currently stuck in your head? That I Would Be Good from the aforementioned Alanis album.
  11. Share your personal mantra or a good quote.  I don’t think I really have one but the closest thing would be “Respice Finem” which means “regard the end”

Well, that was fun! I am not going to tag anyone because all the ladies I would tag have already been tagged for the most part. 🙂

Blue’s After My Heart

Posted on by Cynthia

There can never be enough blue nail polishes. How much better can it get than a creamy, vibrant and glossy blue?

OPI Dating A Royal is one of those colors that instantly grabs my attention. Who am I kidding? Most nail polishes call to me like vodka to an alcoholic. It’s pretty, right? This color is very similar to Essie Mesmerize but they are not exact dupes. The main difference is that Dating A Royal is so sheer; it needed three coats while Mesmerize is perfect in one coat. Since I am a Konad freak, you know what’s coming….

This is the first time I’ve used this stamp and I absolutely love it. What do you think?

 

TOMS & Essie

Posted on by Cynthia

A few weeks ago, I heard about a promotion on TOMS’ Facebook page. I don’t really recall entering it, but apparently I was entered to win a free Essie polish. Lo and behold, I received it yesterday!!! Wow! And I had just complained that I never with anything. If you don’t know anything about TOMS, here is the “About” info on their Facebook page:

In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One.

Five years later, TOMS realized this movement could serve other basic needs and launched TOMS Eyewear. With every pair purchased, TOMS will help give sight to a person in need. One for One. As more everyday choices have the power to impact the lives of those around the world, the TOMS movement will continue to grow and evolve.

The polish I received is a limited edition color named Barefoot in Blue. It is a sheer color but very buildable. I love it!

And here it is with a design from plate M73.

So thank you TOMS and Essie for the beautiful nail polish. Don’t forget to check out the details for the One Day Without Shoes Event on April 10, 2012.

Sephora Drama Velvet Pearl Lacquer

Posted on by Cynthia

Sephora’s collaboration with Pantone resulted in them creating a collection based on their color of the year: Tangerine Tango.  I have to agree; I absolutely love all the Tangerine hues that have become so popular this year. I purchased Drama Velvet Pearl nail polish today because I was curious about the formula and I loved the color, of course.

I was not impressed with brush and cap. It is way too small and feels awkward in my hand. The brush also seems to small but with a little practice, I was able to use it just fine. The formula was very saturated and rich. I found that it is important to let the first coat dry before you apply a second because you will cause some dragging and create bald spots. I ended up applying 3 coats to even out the polish but you can definitely get away with 2 coats if you allow enough time between coats. I like the color but at $7 for .23oz, I think it’s too pricey. There are other brands that are of comparable or better quality with a better price point.

 

What do you think? Do you like this color?

Sephora

Posted on by Cynthia

 

If you are beauty products junkie, I am sure that you are very familiar with Sephora. I received their VIB invite in the mail the other day so I made my way over there for the sample bag and free umbrella. I was glad that the event was an all day thing because when they start these things at 6:30, the place turns into a clusterfuck. Am I the only one who was a little peeved that this time around they only gave a 15% discount instead of the usual 20%? Don’t get me wrong: I appreciate any discount but that along with the super shitty 100 and 500pt perks, I am not as loyal to Sephora as I used to be. If you’re not familiar with Sephora’s loyalty program, you get 1pt for every dollar that you spend. If you spend $350.00 or more in a calendar year, you become a VIB which is supposed to come with a lot of perks. Not so much anymore. I didn’t really need anything so I just went to browse. Actually, I wanted to get some concealer but apparently they don’t carry it in store anymore so I will have to get it online. I ended up purchasing a few things anyway.

I got the nails inc set because it was on sale for $10 which is a pretty good deal considering each polish is $9.50 on its own. I’ve never really tried the sephora brand nail polish but the color is so pretty. It’s a tangerine orange with fine gold microshimmer. Lastly, I picked up my favorite daytime moisturizer.

Now, for the free goodies:

Samples: Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara, Givenchy Mister Light Instant Light Corrective Pen, Especially Escada Solid Fragrance, Boscia BB Cream, Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara and Bumble and Bumble Thickening Shampoo/Conditioner.

How cute is this umbrella? (Yes, I was watching I Love Lucy. lol) I’m glad they gave umbrellas this time rather than totes. I must have a billion Sephora totes already!

If you’re a VIB you can take advantage of the 15% discount in-store and online through April 6, 2012. The online code is CHICVIB.

Happy shopping!

Starry Night

Posted on by Cynthia

I’ve worn this color at least 4 times recently so I can definitely say that it’s one of my favorites. It’s just such a beautiful blue/green/teal with gold microshimmer. I am loving it.

 

This is the only picture that sorta came out of the star Konad pattern that I stamped over Custom Kicks. After I took pictures of the base color, the sun completely disappeared. So annoying. This is actually two different designs from plate M3 that I combined. (Get this plate Vienna!)

I’m not too wordy right now. I think I’m hungry but don’t know what I want to eat for dinner. I think I’ll make myself a tuna melt…that sounds yummy.

 

Ho-hum

Posted on by Cynthia

I’ve been feeling kinda blah lately. Nothing is really wrong, I’ve just been dealing with the vivid dreams side-effect of my meds. It’s really hard to get a good night’s sleep because I wake up so many dang times during the night freaking out about my stupid dreams.The last time I talked to my doctors about this, they suggested that I try to “take control of my dreams.” WTF. If I could do that, of course I would do it. Anyway…I hope this goes away soon because my dreams are centered around all my insecurities which really sucks.

Today I went to my nail supply place and picked up a couple of China Glaze glitters which I am loving because one is super bright orange and the other is super bright green. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE! I also bought some fake eyelashes because I want to try wearing them. My lashes are so yucky and I hate wearing mascara. Let’s see how long this fake lash thing lasts. I also found out that my nail place carries Konad stuff. Great…more crap to waste money on. I ended up getting two new plates for $5.00 each. I usually buy my plates on amazon.com, but I noticed that the prices have gone up about $1-$1.50 per plate!!!! I used to be able to get them for $2.50-$3 (plus s&h) so now they are a better deal at $5. I’ve done my nails a couple of times since my last post but I wasn’t feeling like posting much.

Today I did my nails with OPI’s Romeo and Joliet. I like it but it’s not one of my favorites.

I used one of my new plates for this cute star pattern. Overall, I like the contrast.

She Wore Blue Velvet

Posted on by Cynthia

 

Ok, so I know that this color isn’t really blue but more of a purple with some blue in it. However, I kept thinking of the song “Blue Velvet” while I was doing my nails. I also thought of Isabella Rossellini in all her masochistic glory in the movie of the same name. Like tangents much?

First Class Ticket is a purple shimmer dream. It doesn’t look very blue in real life and is definitely one of those dark vampy colors. In the sun, it really shines. There is some pink and blue shimmer hidden in that dark purple base. Oooohhhh so pretty!

 

And with a stamp. Tada!

 

Now I have to go buy a present for the baby shower I’m going to tomorrow. I don’t think my nails are baby shower appropriate so I’ll probably change them tomorrow. 🙁