Cynthia, Author at Of Life and Lacquer

Author: Cynthia

Of Life and Lacquer > Articles by: Cynthia

Polish ‘M Mocha Sprinkles

Posted on 8 July, 20164 July, 2016 by Cynthia

Can you believe that the first week of July is pretty much gone? Can you believe that it’s July already? What the heck happened to 2016? This year is flying by and it’s starting to freak me out because apparently I haven’t done anything worthwhile this year. Boy, that sounded a little pathetic. I should correct myself and say that I haven’t taken any of the steps I said I would to improve my health. Oh, here we go again! I’m just going to stop beating myself up over it and take a moment to realize that it’s not too late. I should not look backwards instead of forward–I got this. Well, today I have a polish to share with you that I got a while back. I purchase a mystery bag from Polish ‘M a few months ago, and I got some awesome polishes to try out. The beauty I have for you today is Polish ‘M Mocha Sprinkles.

Polish ‘M Mocha Sprinkles (over OPI My Pal Joey)

Polish ‘M Mocha Sprinkles (over OPI My Pal Joey) MACRO

While some people may wear this polish on its own by sponging on the glitter until it’s fully opaque, I decided to wear it over a very vibrant blue: OPI My Pal Joey (press sample). I only applied one coat of this glitter over my base color, and I think I got some great glitter pay off. Isn’t this a beautiful glitter topper? I’m really loving this combination, but I can’t wait to try it over other colors. What other base color do you think would work with this glitter? Well, I hope all is well with you. I haven’t gotten my hands on any new collections yet, but I’m planning to go polish shopping this weekend. Hopefully I’ll have some new Essie and China Glaze stuff to share with you…or I’ll just share other stuff that I acquired recently. I’ve been buying older polishes from destashes like there is no tomorrow. I can’t resist a good deal! Thank you so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

OPI Retro Summer Collection 2016

Posted on 7 July, 20164 July, 2016 by Cynthia

The weather here in California is weird. A few weeks ago it was over 100 degrees and lately it’s been in the high 70’s. I’m not complaining about the cooler temperatures, but it just means that once the temperatures start to creep up again, I will pretty much die. I really hate that it will be insanely hot deep into October but such is life…thanks to global warming. One of the very few things that you won’t hear me complain about during Summer are the nail polish collections. Duh. Who doesn’t love the juicy Summer colors that come out every year? Today I’m going to show you the OPI Retro Summer Collection for 2016. Will these satisfy my love for bright Summer polishes? Read on!

OPI Flip Flops & Crop Tops

OPI What’s the Double Scoop

OPI SPF XXX

OPI I’m Getting a Tan-gerine

OPI Towel Me About It

OPI Sailing & Nailing

Soooooo…these are pretty but they are not as bright and intense as I would have expected from a Summer collection. Despite this, they really do look great on tan Summer skin. I have heard quite a few people state that the polishes in this collection were super thin. While I did find the formula a tad thinner than what I’m used to from OPI, I wouldn’t say that it was terrible. For all of my swatches, I applied two regular coats of polish plus one coat of Seche Vite. I would 100% recommend that you allow the first coat to dry a little longer before you apply the second coat just to avoid any streakiness or bald spots. So, what do you think? Do you see any colors in this collection that pique your interest? What is your favorite color to sport during the hot Summer months? Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

OPI Soft Shades Collection 2016

Posted on 6 July, 20164 July, 2016 by Cynthia

Let me start by saying that I went a little crazy with the cuticle oil when I was swatching this collection. Recently I found a lot of my favorite cuticle oil on ebay, and I have been basically bathing in it. In case you are wondering what my favorite cuticle oil is, I’ll let you know: Nicole by OPI Oil To Go. I don’t know if you have ever used it, but it’s the best cuticle oil out there and the scent is absolutely delicious. I did not realize my fingers were going to come out this darn shiny so I apologize. I am also still fidgeting with my lighting so all the swatches this week are off. I’m really annoyed by this but I was not about to re-swatch three full collections. Anyway, today I’ have the OPI Soft Shades Collection for 2016 to show you. Let’s take a look at my swatches.

OPI It’s in the Clouds

OPI Stop It I’m Blushing!

OPI One Chic Chick

OPI I Am What I Amethyst

OPI It’s A Boy!

OPI This Cost Me A Mint

Ugh, these are so pretty! However, they were a little difficult to deal with formula-wise. When polishes are this light, it can be difficult to get a smooth color application. For these polishes, I found that applying three thin coats yielded better results than two thicker coats. I also found that floating the polish on the nail reduced the possibility of getting streaky results. For all of these polishes I applied three thin coats of polish and a coat of Seche Vite to smooh everything out. All of these shades are extremely delicate so if you like this type of shades, these are well worth picking up–just be advised that you’ll have to do three coats. What do you think of this collection? Are there any shades that you like or that you have picked up? Thanks for visiting today, and I will talk to you soon.

OPI Infinite Shine Spring Collection 2016

Posted on 5 July, 20164 July, 2016 by Cynthia

Woot! Happy Tuesday all. The first day back to work after a long weekend is always the worst, but I managed to pretty much veg all weekend long except for Saturday. I asked my brother and sil to bring over the kids so it was quite a day. Even though my mom took care of Jonas while Peanut and I went out, they were certainly a handful. Jonas is almost 4 months and is quite an animated little guy while Peanut just keeps getting bigger and smarter. I really can’t pull any Jedi mind tricks on him anymore. He got into my swatch box and kept asking what the bottles of color were. When I explained to him that it was nail polish and that you paint your nails with it, he kept asking: “I try it?” I’m not sure I should be letting him wear any nail polish so I told him it was for big kids. That usually ends the discussion with him since he uses that same line every time he doesn’t want something. Anyway…back to nail polish. Today I have yet another belated collection to show you: the OPI Infinite Shine Spring Collection for 2016. On with the swatches!

OPI It’s Pink P.M.

OPI Half Past Nude

OPI Sunrise to Sunset

OPI Rose Against Time

OPI In Familiar Terra-tory

OPI Reach for the Sky

OPI Olive for Green

Can we all just stop for a moment and admire Olive For Green? This color is legit my favorite green all year. It’s kind of ugly but kind of gorgeous at the same time. I had zero issues with this collection when it came to formula. For all my swatches above I used two coats of polish and 1 coat of Seche Vite. I really like the Infinite Shine formula and always end up using my usual base and top coat with them. I don’t see too much of a difference with longevity when I use the Infinite Shine base/top coats so I think you are safe to use whatever you feel most comfortable with. I also have a soft spot for Reach For The Sky and Rose Against Time. Overall, I’m really please with these shades and can see myself wearing quite a few of these over and over. I really hope that you like these shades as much as I do. Do you have any favorites? Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon!

Incoco American Sweetheart Collection

Posted on 4 July, 20164 July, 2016 by Cynthia

Hey guys! Happy 4th of July. I’m currently enjoying my day off from work…cause who doesn’t love a 3 day weekend? If you are off, please enjoy your day safely with you friends and family: be safe if you’re setting off fireworks and for the love of God don’t drink and drive. Ok, now that Mother Cynthia has scolded you enough, let me show you something fun: a selection from the Incoco American Sweetheart Collection

Home Of The Brave

Showtime

American Spirit

I don’t know how familiar you are with Incoco products, but I’m pretty fond of them just because of the ease of use. They last quite well on my nails if I make sure to prep my nails properly which includes removing any overgrown cuticle skin and rubbing down my nails with acetone or alcohol to remove any oils. If you apply a base coat, they will wear like iron, but you have to be extra careful during application because you will not be able to readjust the appliqué once it touches your nail. Currently there is a sale going on at incoco.com for 30% off when you use the code REDWHITEBLUE. The sale is valid through 7/4/16 at midnight EST. I will now leave you with my favorite 4th of July picture of Peanut.

Happy birthday Murica!

Love, Angeline Since The Beginning Of Time

Posted on 1 July, 201626 June, 2016 by Cynthia

Every time I reshape my nails like this, I immediately regret it. I’ve always had squoval nails, so it takes some getting used to. I haven’t sported this shape in a really long time, but I really like the way they look so maybe I will try it again. I did this swatch a long time ago but hadn’t gotten around to posting them until now. I received Love, Angeline Since The Beginning Of Time from Mae earlier in the year and I really loved it. I don’t normally use many glitter top coats but this one is so incredibly fun. It’s like confetti on my nails! Let me show you some swatches.

I decided to wear this glitter topper over black to really let all the colors pop. Putting on a thick coat of top coat also helped make this look almost jelly-like and as if the glitters are floating on my nails. What I especially liked about this polish is that it was so easy to get the glitter on my nails without battling with the clear base. What do you think of this mani? I think that now that Summer has arrived, I’m going to use a lighter base color. What color do you think would go well with this glitter combination? I hope you’re having a great Friday and that you have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for the visit, and I will talk to you soon.

Essie Starry Starry Night 2.0

Posted on 30 June, 201626 June, 2016 by Cynthia

I bet you can still remember the excitement you felt when Essie announced the return of one of their most unique and beloved shades: Starry Starry Night. I bet that you can also remember the bitter disappointment when you realized that the new version was nothing like the one we all coveted. Well, let me tell you that it took me a long time to buy Essie Starry Starry Night precisely because of all the bad reviews. Despite this, I decided to get it just because I know I’ll never get my hands on the original. Let me show you my swatches before I tell you what I think about it.

No one is saying that this isn’t a pretty polish. No one is saying that at all. What we are saying is that this is not worthy of the Starry Starry Night name. This polish seems flat compared to the glorious depth of the original Starry Starry Night. I don’t know what the formula is like on the original one, but this one is a difficult and goopy mess. I found that the polish dries super fast so it tends to get goopy incredibly fast which, as you can imagine, doesn’t help to achieve an even application. Due to the sheer jelly base, you will need at least 3 coats to make this look even. I do like how it looks, but I’d much rather wear my KBShimmer Carpe Denim if I’m in the mood for a blue jelly glitter. I hope your week is going well–I’m looking forward to the long weekend for sure. Thanks for checking in today, and I will talk to you soon.

Essie Lounge Lover Collection Spring 2016

Posted on 29 June, 201626 June, 2016 by Cynthia

I really wish I had gotten these swatches up sooner, but do any of us really care about polish colors and how season appropriate they are? I certainly don’t. I wear neons during Winter and vampy colors in the middle of Summer because I wear what I like when I feel like it. The Essie Lounge Lover Collection is this years Spring offering and I can say some of these scream delicate Spring colors while others definitely do not. Let’s take a look at the 6 shades that make up Essie’s Spring collection, shall we?

Essie Shades On

Essie Lounge Lover

Essie Pool Side Service

Essie Off Tropic

Essie Sunshine State of Mind

Essie High Class Affair

Is it just me or does Essie Off Tropic stick out like a sore thumb? Still, I don’t see too many greens like this so I’m kind of in love with it. It’s like the most luscious dark green that makes me think of a freshly mowed lawn. I think that Pool Side Service is my favorite shade from this collection along with Shades On because who can say no to a beautiful purple? I did not have any issues with the formula on these except for maybe High Class Affair which needed three coats to even out. For the rest, I applied two coats of polish and one coat of top coat. You may notice some bubbling: that is not the polish but the top coat that thickened up on me. The colors are definitely nice in this collection, but I wasn’t super wowed by them. Solid effort, Essie…but I’m not feeling any excitement. Did you pick up any of these shades? Let me know what you think. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.

Essie Going Guru Collection Resort 2016

Posted on 28 June, 201626 June, 2016 by Cynthia

How hot is it in your neck of the woods? A week ago, we had the most disgusting heat wave here in California that gave us a taste of what is to come this Summer. Personally, I hate Summer with an unreasonable passion which is kind of weird considering I’m a native Californian. I’m just glad that I live close enough to the beach to have the relief of cooler temperatures than those who live more inland. Every year, Essie puts out a Resort Collection that gives us shades that would be a welcome addition to any luscious summer getaway. The Essie Going Guru Collections offers us 4 beautiful shades that are sure to get a lot of use. Let me show you some swatches before I get into the details.

Essie Delhi Dance

Essie Taj-Ma-Haul

Essie Going Guru

Essie Nama-Stay the Night

I don’t know if I am just used to the finicky Essie formula, but I did not have many issues with these polishes. I applied two regular coats of each polish and top coated them all with NYC Grand Central Station. I find that with the Essie formula, I have to float the polish on the nail because if I apply too much pressure, I will 100% create bald spots. While you may say that these colors are not anything new (is anything ever knew anymore in the nail world?), they are really beautiful staple colors. They are bright enough to be fun for summer yet muted enough to not be super in your face. Nama-Stay the Night is probably my favorite color here with Going Guru a close second. What do you think of this year’s Resort Collection? Well, I hope your Tuesday is going well! Talk to you soon.

Zoya Sunsets Collection Summer 2016

Posted on 27 June, 201626 June, 2016 by Cynthia

Hey there. Happy Monday. It certainly is a happy Monday for me because I’m finally feeling better. I was feeling all kinds of messed up for the last week and a half ever since I started taking a new medication to help with my blood sugar. I’m sorry, but Actos is the devil. If you thought getting used to Metformin was hard, Actos is like it’s psychotic sibling. I couldn’t sleep, I had severe weakness and muscle pain and all-day nausea. I dealt with that for about a week and a half before I decided to stop taking it. Anywho, I’m starting to feel much better now so I’m thankful for that. Now that I feel a little more normal, I can get back to showing you all the pretties I had swatched. I know I’m super behind on stuff so I’m going to try to catch up in the coming weeks. I currently only have the OPI Infinite Shine Summer Collection left to swatch so I’m happy about that. Today I have the Zoya Sunsets Collection which is made up of 6 beautiful cremes. This is the second part of the Summer Collection; the first part is all about PixieDusts and you can check out my review here. Let’s get on with the swatches!

Zoya Brynn

Zoya Cam

Zoya Dixie

Zoya Dory

Zoya Liv

Zoya Ness

This collection is marketed as “one coat cremes,” but I did not find that one coat was enough unless you applied a super thick coat. I have always preferred to apply thin coats even if that means I will have to do 2+ coats. For these polishes, I did two coats of each polish and top coated them with NYC Grand Central Station. By the way, I was really into this polish as a top coat, but it has gotten incredibly stringy and thick after only 3 weeks of use. I’m going to try to thin it out to see if it will continue to work for swatching purposes. Overall, I really love these cremes. I’m not cool with the one coat claims, but there aren’t that many true one coaters out there anyway. Zoya has always put out really great cremes that marble beautifully, so I’m glad to have these in my arsenal. What is your favorite polish finish? Did you get any of these? Let me know below. If you’re interested in purchasing these, check them out on the Zoya site where they retail for $10 each. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I will talk to you soon.