June 2013 - Of Life and Lacquer

Month: June 2013

Of Life and Lacquer > 2013 > June

OPI Avojuice in Violet Orchid

Posted on 29 June, 201329 June, 2013 by Cynthia

This is my fourth day dealing with this miserable summer flu and I think maybe I’m finally starting to improve. My cough is still going full force and this runny nose is even worse, but at least I don’t have a fever and horrible body aches anymore. I’ve missed almost 3 full days of work this week so I’m sure they’re not happy with me, but I just couldn’t continue to go in to work feeling like I was going to pass out. Oh well.

One of the things I constantly get asked about is what I use to keep my hands and nails healthy–especially my cuticles. I will tell you that I am most likely just lucky because I don’t really do too much to maintain my cuticles smooth and moisturized. In fact, I tend to treat my hands pretty roughly and they can definitely get dry, rough and cracked if I don’t at least moisturize. Believe it or not, I was a nail and cuticle biter up until my early 20’s which pretty much had my nails and cuticles in the most disgustingly haggard condition. Once I kicked the habit, I found that moisturizing was my best friend. I try to use cuticle oil every day–especially when I am swatching. I also use thick hand cremes at night, and I am always on the lookout for lotions to use during the day. My big dilemma is finding something that is moisturizing, absorbs quickly and is not super greasy. Well, my friends, I was really happy that I got the chance to try out a new scent in OPI’s Avojuice lotion line: OPI Avojuice in Violet Orchid

I have seen the these OPI Avojuice lotions many times but had never taken the plunge to actually try them out. I am so glad that I did because this lotion is amazing. It is super moisturizing but lightweight so that you don’t feel that residual greasiness from thicker formulas. It literally disappears into your skin leaving it super soft. I do have a problem with it, though: the scent. I am notoriously difficult to please when it comes to scents so this should come as no surprise. It is just too darn sweet smelling for me and the scent lingers forever! I can’t stand super sweet smelling products (or anything that smells like coconut or gardenia, for that matter) because they eventually give me a headache. While I didn’t get a headache from the Violet Orchid scent, it definitely is not for me. I love the performance of the lotion but not the scent so I will be looking for something in this line with a cleaner, fresher scent because I really do love how it makes my hands feel.

Have you tried any OPI Avojuice lotions? Do you have any scents from this line to recommend that are not so sweet? I tend to like “cucumber” or “citrus” type scents so if you know of any, let me know! I’m always looking for great lotions to keep my hands in good shape so I can keep swatching.

OPI Avojuice Skin Quenchers Hand & Body Lotion in Peony & Poppy and Violet Orchid will be available beginning July 2013 at professional salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, jcp Salons, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, ULTA and ulta.com. Suggested retail price is $7.95 ($9.95 CAN) for each 6.6 fl. oz bottle.

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will catch up with you soon!

Winner Announced: OPI Couture de Minnie Minis

Posted on 28 June, 201329 June, 2013 by Cynthia

Happy Friday everyone. I’m taking a brief moment to let you know who was chosen as the winner of my OPI Couture de Minnie Minis giveaway. Let’s all congratulate Denisse! I have contacted Denisse and she has 24 hours to respond or else I will be choosing a new winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A big thanks to everyone who participated. I will be launching another giveaway soon so make sure that you stop by and enter. I’ll keep this brief as I am home sick. I was hoping that I’d feel better by now but it looks like I have the flu. I spent last night in the fetal position moaning and coughing through a raging fever. I usually get the flu once a year but this year I got it in January and now again in June. I hope that will be it for this year.

Anyway, I’ll catch up with you later!

Morgan Taylor Lacquer Nautically Inclined

Posted on 27 June, 20135 July, 2013 by Cynthia

To be honest, I have no idea why I even fussed with my nails today. I don’t know how I made it through work today because I had the worst cough that barely allowed me to do my job. I am now completely exhausted from all the coughing and my body is sore and in pain. Great! Just what I needed: to get sick just as the temperatures are going to be nearing the triple digits in parts of So Cal. Last night I took 3 cups of Nyquil and that KNOCKED ME OUT. I was able to sleep ok last night because of this, but this morning I felt like I got run over by a school bus multiple times. Since I’m apparently missing too many days at work, I dragged my phlegmy, hoarse and feverish self to work…those were 8 hours of pure misery. I don’t think I’m going to put myself through that again so I’m probably going to call in sick tomorrow. What really bites about all this is that I don’t get any sick days so each day I don’t go to work I get my pay docked…that’s going to hurt at the end of the month. I guess that means no crazy polish binges for the next couple of months while I play catch up. This could be a good thing for me! So today as I watched bad daytime tv, I got the itch to do my nails. I don’t know why since I was feeling so craptacular, but I decided to pull out one of my new polishes: Morgan Taylor Lacquer Nautically Inclined.

I know I’ve shown you a few Morgan Taylor polishes before so it will be no surprise to you that I really liked Nautically Inclined! I’ve purchased so many of these blues lately, but this one has a very subtle shimmer throughout so I love how it has that slight difference from the typical creme. I found the formula a little thick so I recommend applying thin coats and letting each one dry before you apply the next. I think I could have gotten away with two regular coats, but I felt 3 thin coats worked for me the best.

I don’t even know how long it has been since I’ve done some stamping. This was one of the first creative nail techniques that I ever used on my blog so I will always have a special place in my heart for stamping. I don’t know about you, but stamping can be really hard so I always wonder why some people are so anti-stamping saying that it’s nail art cheating. This awesome design comes from MASH Plate MASH 44. I used Konad Special black polish for the stamping because I just can’t find a black that is as good as this one.

Well, I hope that you liked this mani. I’m kind of in love with it and don’t want to take it offffffffffffffffffff! I may leave it on for a few days, but I will be trying out some 4th of July Incoco Polish Strips next week. Since my giveaway for the OPI Couture de Minnie Minnies is ending in a few hours, I’ll try to choose a winner tonight–if I haven’t passed out by 9 pm. But don’t fret if you don’t win….I bough two Jindie Nails Jindie-Pendence glitter toppers so I’ll be giving one bottle away next week so make sure you check in! Talk to you soon.

EDIT 7/5/2013: As you may know, I won a bottle of Nautically Inclined from a giveaway on Morgan Taylor’s Facebook page. Since I already have this color, I decided to hold a quick giveaway for the people who are on my FB page. I asked that you come and leave a comment in order to be entered. The people who had already left a comment before I launched this mini-giveaway got two entries because they are my regulars and I love them! (I love you too, don’t worry!) So the winner is…..

YANIRA

I have sent Yanira an email and she has 24 hours to respond or else I will be picking a new winner. Thanks for participating everyone!

Sation Beyond Bubblegum Pink

Posted on 26 June, 201330 June, 2013 by Cynthia

Any time I wear pink–especially super hot pink–I tend to get a lot of compliments. Maybe it’s because neon colors really POP on my dark skin? Either way, I love how hot pink look on me and some of my favorite lipsticks include NARS Funny face, Illamasqua Eurydice and MUFE #36–yep, all eye-searing pink. Yesterday my friend coaxed me out of my sickness coma and we went out to get some lunch and then we went to Michael’s to pick up some melmers. They are currently BOGO Free so how could I resist? You may recall that early this year I had some massive blog sales where I think I probably got rid of close to half my stash–I think I sold over $1,000 in nail polish!!! In 6 months, I think I have pretty much bought back the quantities I sold off and then some! That’s pretty scary and I’m in a delusional frame of mind where I am telling myself that the reason I have acquired so much new polish is because I’ve gotten a lot of them for review. *cue delusional music*

Anyway, today I was working on putting together my two new melmers and also wanted to consider a new way of organizing my stash. Well, I saw this pretty pink polish and couldn’t resist taking it out for a spin. Sation Beyond Bubblegum Pink is a beautiful bubbleyum-bubblegum pink with a lot of shimmer in it which makes it look a little frosty. Let me show you what I’m talking about:

This polish so full of shimmer that it does have a sort of frosty look to it. It is a very bright pink and it acts like a neon in that it dries to a satiny finish. I applied 3 thin coats for the swatches above and did not top coat it.

Miss & Makeup is a super fun glitter topper from their I Love Miss-self glitter collection. There is something about that shard black glitter that really makes this look unique. It’s a really easy glitter to apply and I didn’t have trouble getting a nice even coat. I did notice that I had to shake it up real well because the glitter in the bottle had settled.

So what do you think of this pink polish? Is it something that you would wear? How do you feel about bright pink polish and make-up in general? I am still super sick so I’m not looking forward to going to work tomorrow. My throat is bugging me a lot and my cough is really dry and painful. I am probably going to have to drink some hot tea at work tomorrow to soothe my throat and be able to get through work. Why did I have to get sick just as the summer season is starting? It’s supposed to get outrageously hot in the next few days so I’m dreading it big time. Thanks for catching up with me today, and I’ll talk to you soon!

P.S. Have you entered my giveaway for the OPI Couture de Minnie minis? Click on the image below to be taken to the giveaway post!

Jessica Bright Wings Collection

Posted on 25 June, 201316 September, 2013 by Cynthia

I’m not feeling too well today. In fact, I came home sick because I was coughing so much that I could barely concentrate on my work and calls. The other night I had this weird gurgling and wheezing sound coming from my chest when I was trying to sleep: I actually woke myself up with the weird noises I was making! Anyway, I hope that resting up today and tomorrow will help me get better because I’ve been missing work too much lately. I’m so bitter about not having health insurance right now because this just seems to be a rotating sickness that keeps coming back, and I just can’t afford it! This could potentially affect my polish budget! Haha!

As some of you may know, I am a total Jessica fan so I’m always super excited when they put out their new collections. Imagine my delight when I saw their new summer collection at my local beauty supply store! Saweeeeeeeeeet! Of course I picked up every color in the 6 piece collection which I am sharing with you today. This is the Jessica Bright Wings Collection:

Fanciful Flight

Fierce Flyer

Floating Beauty

Social Butterfly

Nature’s Fairy

Wing Woman

If you follow my blog, you probably know that I cannot resist a beautiful creme polish so I was in creme heaven with this collection. Jessica makes some of the BEST cremes out there and this collection just highlights this even more. All of these polishes are creme perfection: they are buttery, smooth, pigmented and dry super shiny and gorgeous. The only polish that I felt had a somewhat thin formula is Nature’s Fairy, but it built up nicely with 3 coats. All of the other polishes only needed 2 regular coats and I topped them with Seche Vite for extra shine. Let me say this about this collection: the colors aren’t all that original. I am sure I have dupes for almost all of these, but the formula is just so perfectly glossy and smooth that I do not regret picking these up. My two stand-out favorites from this collection are Social Butterfly and Fanciful Flight. I could have done without the red and the orange in this collection, but they are still great colors if you don’t have something similar in your collection

What do you think of this collection? Are you as excited with gorgeous cremes as I am? Do you have any favorites from this collection? Thanks for stopping by today….I think I’m going to go pass out now. Talk to you soon!

The Jessica Bright Wings Collection is available now at www.jessicacosmetics.com and at salons and spas internationally.

Nicole by OPI Tink Collection

Posted on 24 June, 201329 June, 2013 by Cynthia

Hey ladies…and gents? I wonder if any guys read my blog. If they do, they’ve never commented but considering the amount of men that are into wearing nail polish, it wouldn’t surprise me. Sweet baby Jesus it was hard to wake up this morning. Not only is it Monday, but I also couldn’t fall asleep last night so I ended up going to bed after 10:00 pm which means that waking up at 3:30 am would be horrific. I actually didn’t have that hard of a time getting out of bed because I had the most horrid dream ever. I was dreaming that one of my best friends and I were taking a trip to Russia. We were on the plane and she decided we should fly in first class so we upgraded and moved to the front of the plane. The weird part was that there was no real cockpit door, we could see into the cockpit and therefore look out their window. Well, we were going down the runway gaining speed so we could take off. All of a sudden, another plane was taxing right in front of us and crossing our path. In my dream I felt this loud boom and a lot of heat. I felt like I was thrown up in the air and everything went black and I could hear people screaming. I felt like I was floating and then I things started to come back into focus and I was suddenly outside falling onto runway in the snow. Apparently we were making a layover in some Eastern European country in the middle of winter. Considering I used to work for 2 major airlines, I was never afraid of flying. In fact, being on the airplane was one of the favorite parts of my job (didn’t hurt that I always got to travel in first/business!) but, it’s like now I have this irrational fear of flying. The last time I was on an airplane, it was for a work trip and I had to like load up with a few drinks to even make it on the plane. I’m such a spaz. It was a really bad dream, and I was so grateful to wake up. However, I felt terribly uneasy about my dream all day. I haven’t started back up on my Prozac yet, but these are the kinds of dreams I have when I’m on my meds…EVERY SINGLE DAY. Eeeek…I hate that.

Anyway, now that I’ve told you about my terrible dreams, I am going to share with you the Nicole by OPI Tink Collection which is a new and limited edition collection inspired by Disney’s Tinker Bell.

Tink’s In The Pink – This happy fuchsia makes me, well…happy!

Sweet On Pete – This lime green is the “key” to Pete’s heart!

Half Charming Half Alarming – This coral is perfect when you’re feeling unpredictable

Fairy Fairy Quite Contrary – Not, it’s NOT orange…it’s tangerine. So there!

After swatching this collection, I’ve got to say that the formula on all four polishes is fantastic. I had zero issues with application and they all covered very well with two regular coats of polish. All of my swatches are two coats of polish plus a coat of Seche Vite. While these colors aren’t exactly groundbreaking, they are nice staple colors that are worth picking up if you don’t have them. My favorite color is Sweet On Pete because I don’t have a dupe for this in my collection as far as I can tell. It’s one of those weird and pretty/ugly colors that kind of draw me in. I also wanted to mention that I am missing two of the polishes: Pixie Glitter and How Fairy Nice Of You!

Pixie Glitter – This clear gloss is sprinkled with tiny rainbows.

How Fairy Nice of You! – This sweet pixie pink gives me wings

This limited edition collection will be available July 1, 2013 for $7.99 each at select Walgreens locations nationwide. For more information, visit nicolebyopi.com. Follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter @NicoleByOPI and become a Facebook fan!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you’re having a nice Monday. Let me know if you’re a fan of Tinker Bell and/or all things Disney. I’ll leave you with a picture of my gluttony….ceviche and a giant Tecate. I feel kind of ghetto with that giant beer but it was in my fridge and Guinness doesn’t really go with ceviche tostadas. Ha!

Greens Smackdown

Posted on 22 June, 20131 July, 2013 by Cynthia

Guess what, chillens? I’m done with work for the weekend so that definitely deserves a little bit of a celebration…which means that I bought some polish. I bought a few colors at my local beauty supply and I also ordered some minis from Lush Lacquer. I’ve never tried that brand before so I’m super excited because their new collection of bright polishes is right UP MY ALLEY. I wasn’t super happy with how long it will take to get my polishes, but I don’t have to be an impatient asshole…I can definitely wait since I have plenty of stuff to play with and swatch in the meantime. For those of you who read about my head banging episode yesterday, I am glad to say I feel a lot better. My head is still a little sore where I hit it but I don’t feel sleepy or nauseated any longer…well, no more than usual after having to be at work on a Saturday at 6 am. Thank you for all sweet messages on here and on twitter.

So for today, I have a fun post. My Blues Smackdown post got a lot of hits last time so I know that people are always looking for dupes. Being that emerald is the Pantone Color Of The Year, I decided to do a comparison post for some gorgeous greens. I hope you enjoy this and that it can save you a few bucks if you’re wondering if you have a dupe or not. Let’s get ready for my Greens Smackdown!

Color Club Abyss – Illamasqua Venous – OCC Chlorophyll – YSL Vert d’Orient

I don’t think that any of these polishes are 100% exact dupes, but OCC Chlorophyll and Illamasqua Venous are pretty darn close. They are the exact same size (.5 oz) but Illamasqua retails for $17 while OCC retails for $10. In terms of formula, I think that OCC Chlorophyll is just a tiny bit thinner, but it’s not a huge difference. The priciest one is YSL Vert d’Orient and it is also the darkest one of the bunch. I reviewed it here yesterday. Now, is it really worth $25? That’s up to you to decided. Color Club Abyss is the brightest one here and at $8-it’s a steal!

Here is another comparison of 4 more gorgeous greens:

Color Club Wild Cactus – Nubar Into The Wild – Sation RV There Yet? – Sinful Colors Rise And Shine

What do you think about these? I feel pretty confident in saying that Sation RV There Yet? and Color Club Wild Cactus are 100% dupes in terms of color. The Sation ($5.00) has a super sheer jelly formula that takes a lot of coats–4 here–to build up while the Color Club ($8.00) only took two. They are both gorgeous! The base color of the Nubar ($8.00) and the Sinful Colors ($1.99) is very similar but the Sinful Colors has a lovely shimmer throughout. I also found the Sinful Colors formula to be very thin but it was very buildable.

I hope that this post was helpful. I kind of dread doing these comparison posts because I realize how many dupes I probably have and don’t even realize it. However, I know that these posts are good in helping you decide if you really need a particular polish. Let me know what you think in the comments! Do you end up purchasing a lot of dupes? Do you regret getting them? Let me know if you have any other polishes that you think might be good dupes for these.

Have a wonderful weekend, and I will talk to you soon!

YSL Vert d’Orient

Posted on 21 June, 201329 June, 2013 by Cynthia

Well, hello kids! I think I have a concussion! Ha! So this morning I was in a rush to get ready for work and I had opened up a cupboard, bent down to pick something up and I stood up way too quickly and I slammed my head on it. Fun times. I was at work all day feel like someone had taken a hammer to my head, and I felt very nauseated. Of course my co-worker convinced me that I would die if I fell asleep so he was “keeping an eye on me” all day. haha–he cracks me up. Anyway, I think I’ll be ok since I’m going to try to get extra sleep tonight. I couldn’t help giggling about my head trauma considering one of my favorite episodes of The Office involves Dwight getting a concussion while trying to render aid to Michael who Foreman Grill-ed his foot. I still miss The Office so much!!!!

Anyway, today I have ANOTHER super pricey polish to share with you. No, I’m not rich…I am just a cheapskate in every other facet of my life and spend all my disposable income on nail polish. Sad? Hey, in the words of Sheryl Crowe: if it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad.

Let’s take a look at YSL Vert d’Orient…

I get such horrid lobster hands with these green polishes, but I love the color so much. The formula on this was pretty nice–it was a tiny thin for my liking but it covered well and flowed nicely. I applied two coats for the swatches above. I would also like to note that the polish acted a little weird when I applied a top coat–Seche Vite to be exact. It got kind of wrinkled, but then it smoothed down once it dried. It was definitely a weird reaction but worth noting.

So, what say you about YSL Vert d’Orient? Are you seduced by the fancy name brand and packaging or are you more practical? I wish I could say I was more on the practical side, but you have all seen the sheer number of polishes I purchase so practicality flew out the window a long time ago. I purchase my YSL polishes on Sephora.com or at Nordstrom. You can get your hands on this beauty for $25 for a .33 oz bottle. I hope that you have a great Friday night and an even better weekend. I hope to have a Greens Smackdown post for you tomorrow in which I will compare 8 green polishes at different price points because, really, who can afford $25 nail polish on the regular nowadays?

Thanks for the visit today…catch you later!

Givenchy Mandarine Boléro

Posted on 20 June, 20131 July, 2013 by Cynthia

Man, it’s hot today. I bet I’m gonna get all gross and sweaty when I do my evening dance. Yep, I do an evening dance. See, I told myself that if I acted goofy and did something fun, that would lift my spirits. So every evening I play 10 songs and just dance around like a maniac. Yesterday I played “Blurred Lines” 3 times just because I’m really digging that song.

Yep, this is the “uncensored” version…oooh…naked girls. haha So anyway, I’ve been trying to cheer myself up with silly dancing and it actually has helped. At least I do a little exercise, right? I’m trying really hard to swatch all the polishes I buy as I buy them, but it’s kind of impossible because I just buy way too many all at once. Boo hoo…so many polishes…not enough fingers. Last night when I was feel all pathetic and down I jumped on sephora.com and I was soooooo close to buying like 5 polishes (3 Dior, 1 Givenchy and 1 YSL), but I stepped away because it’s not like I am rich. I have other important things I need to be saving up for like a car. Nail polish should be the last thing on my list but we all know how that goes…

I don’t remember when I purchased this polish, but it was probably a month ago? I’m always very curious about luxury brand nail polish because I want to know if they are really worth the crazy prices. In this case, it is $20 for a .3oz bottle. Let’s take a look at Givenchy Mandarine Boléro, shall we?

This color is a super bright tomato red/orange that is kind of perfect for summer. It’s not like a crazy bright eye-searing orange, but it’s definitely an attention getter. These are the kinds of colors that I enjoy wearing because they make me look even darker than I am. What do I think about the formula? Well, it was fine–nothing earth-shattering. It’s fairly opaque, but I found the brush just kind of strange. It’s flat and super short with a rounded tip. I did not feel that it did a good job of fanning out and applying the polish evenly because it felt a little stiff. The polish dries fairly shiny, and I applied 3 thin coats for the swatches above. Honestly, I don’t think this polish is worth $20. It’s nice and I like the pretty bottle, but if I’m going to buy more Givenchy polishes, the colors are going to have to be a little more unique to justify the price.

I’m currently patiently waiting for a shipment from UPS, and I think I figured out what they are delivery. I. CAN’T. WAIT!!!!!!!!!!! And in case you were wondering, I am fully clothed.

Thanks for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Polishes

Posted on 19 June, 2013 by Cynthia

I don’t know what is up with me lately, but I feel like I have lost my mojo. I’m having a really hard time swatching polishes, or just being excited about nail art in general. I have been unhappy with every single swatch I’ve done lately and just end up deleting everything despite all the time I spent applying the polishes and then photographing them. I tried doing some simple nail art today, and it came out really ugly so I just acetoned it off. (Yes, I am using acetone as a verb now. It’s my thing. Deal with it.) I think that stressing about my job and going on a bunch of interviews to try to find a better job is taking its toll on me. I’ve been thinking for a few weeks that maybe I should take a break from blogging, but then I get all excited about something, and I just have to jump on and share it with you guys. Story of my life, eh? I just don’t really want to be one of those bloggers who is constantly negative to the point that people just get sick of my whining, you know? I should probably just take it a day at a time and if I feel like blogging, I will. I have a lot of swatches saved up from when I do my weekly swatch-a-thons so it’s not like I don’t have plenty of material, but I always like to share other stuff because I’m not just 4 fingers, damnit! haha I am a person too–crazy and all–but there is more to me than just my obsession with nail polish. I hope my silly stories amuse you because it sure is fun to share them.

Today I have these two awesome polishes to share with you. These are my first ever Barry M polishes so I was beyond excited to try them out. I was secretly hoping to hate them because they are not easily accessible. I lie. They are rather easy to get via Ninja Polish, but I really, really, REALLY hate to pay for shipping so I wish I could get these somewhere locally. Here are my two choices from the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine line:

Green Berry

Blueberry

The formula on these two polishes was identical: smooth, opaque, self-leveling and absolutely delicious. These polishes are beyond shiny–the swatches above do not have any kind of top coat and I applied 3 thin coats but 2 regular coats would have been enough. I really didn’t want to adore these, but I do and now my wallet will weep as I methodically acquire every color in this collection which has 16 other shades. Ok, maybe I don’t want all 16 colors, but there are at least 6 more that are calling my name.

I was thinking the other day that I should take a little more pride in my appearance. I am such a slob when I wake up in the morning to go to work that I rarely do more than apply some moisturizer and some concealer. The other day I woke up a little earlier than usual (I have to be at work at 5:00 am which is brutal), so I actually put some make up on–nothing major, just some lip gloss an a little blush. Well, let me tell you that everyone was complimenting me that day–I guess I really do look like crap the rest of the days so a little make up really made a huge difference. Funny thing is that I got tons of compliments on my hair, but I haven’t had a cut in about a month or so, I think. In fact, I should be getting a trim because the one thing about having a pixie cut is that maintenance is a bitch especially because my hair grows super crazy fast. I also think that the less I care about my make-up, hair, nails and clothing, the worst I feel…which makes sense because if you look like a slob, you’re going to feel like a slob. I just wish I didn’t have to be up so early because then I might actually have time to actually fuss over that stuff. Ugh, I sound like such a girl right now.

Anyway, I also wanted to share on here (in case you didn’t see my post on facebook) that I’ve put up the Bettina Picnic Collection up on my blog sale. When I ordered them, I thought they were straight up cremes (you know I’m a sucker for cremes!) but they ended up being shimmers–almost like glass flecked shimmers. It’s not that I don’t like shimmers, but I much prefer cremes so I know I’m not going to get much use out of these, and I would rather they go to a new polish-loving home. So go check them out on my blog sale, here.

This weekend, I’m planning to sit down and actually answer all the comments that I’ve gotten this past week. I’ve read them all, but my funk has prevented me from actually responding to them all. Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and comment–just know that I’ve read every single one. Thanks for sticking with me through the ups and downs.

Much Love,