Category: Swatches

Of Life and Lacquer > Swatches

Illamasqua Serenity

Posted on by Cynthia

Why does Illamasqua keep putting out such lovely polishes? Why do they want to push me to financial ruin? It’s ok, Illamasqua: I forgive you. It’s not your fault that I have no self control whatsoever. When I saw that they had added a few colors to their rubber finish polishes, this was the first one that made me run out to Sephora to see if it was in stock. It wasn’t yet, so I ordered it online along with 2 other colors from this line. For those of you who have NARS Koliary, how does this color compare? I didn’t get Koliary so this color kind of makes up for it in my mind.

(Before I forget, I would really appreciate some input about my pictures. I am using a new light box system that I set up today, and I don’t know if I need to change it up or what. I am used to taking direct sunlight pictures, but I need to move away from that because my schedule won’t allow it in the near future. So please let me know what you think.)

    

Serenity is such a beautiful shade of blue. Like its name states, it definitely has a serene quality to it. This polish is pretty freaking pigmented so you only need two coats but make sure that you don’t overwork the polish like I did. You can kind of see some brushstrokes, right? I wore a good ridge filling base coat because I find that this formula tends to show every single imperfection.

    

The two pictures show Serenity with a coat of Seche Vite. Ahhh….glossy and lovely.

    

And here is my feeble attempt at some type of nail art. I am such a fail at this stuff…I should just face the fact that all I can do is stamping!

What do you think of Illamasqua polishes? Are you a fan of the brand? Is there a color from their new Rubber Brights that you are interested in getting? Thanks for stopping by and have a great Wednesday.

P.S. As you can tell, I am finally trying out some watermarking. Today I got a few emails from people I had contacted about using my pics without giving me credit. They were all apologetic and said they would have credited me if they knew where the pics came from. Weak defense in my opinion, but maybe if I had watermarked, they would have credited. We shall see how it all pans out. As most of you know, there are a lot of shameless people out there who don’t care about stealing/using other people’s work.

Ninja Polish: Nail-Venturous Humblebee

Posted on by Cynthia

Today I have another installment of the reformed glitter hater chronicles. I’ve been on a serious glitter high for the last month or so despite all of my previous statements about hating glitter. I still have issues with it when it comes to removal, but otherwise I am mesmerized by the world of indie glitters. There are so many amazing glitters out there and I recently I did something I said I didn’t have the patience to do: buy some polishes on Etsy. Now, that statement came from all the complaints I would hear about having to stalk certain shops, but I had no problems whatsoever getting the glitters I wanted. That is probably going to change in the new future once people get a load of the polishes I have coming. I’ll have those later in the week so I’ll be able to post them soon.

I decided to use the second polish I recently purchased from Ninja Polish: Humblebee. It is such an amazing matte glitter in the same vein of Floam. I layered it over Wet N Wild Pin ‘Em Slater from their HTF collection, Saved By The Nail. I didn’t really need a base color because you can build up Humblebee to opacity, but you have to be sure to allow each coat to dry or else you risk dragging.

 

 

    

This is 3 coats of Pin ‘Em Slater. If you don’t want VNL, you must wear some white undies.

    

And here is the majestic Humblebee. Ahhh….so pretty!

Sorry for more food porn…don’t mean to make you hungry. I was so in the mood for these carne asada tacos so they hit the spot.

Today was not as hot but it was still pretty gross. I can’t wait for this weather to just calm the F down. How has your week been? Ready for hump day tomorrow?

Also, don’t forget to enter my two giveways:

Free Julep Maven Intro box ($40 value) details here

Polish package + Beauty Samples details here

Thanks so much for stopping by and indulging my glittery beating heart.

Sephora Day

Posted on by Cynthia

On the heels of asking all of you if I post too much, here I am with a second post today! haha! I just got so excited that I wanted to share these new polishes I picked up today. I think I tweeted earlier that I was going to go scope out all the drugstore deals so I went to Walgreens and Rite-Aid because I wanted to see if I could find those WNW Halloween polishes. Alas, I didn’t find them. Feeling sad and dejected, I went to one of my favorite places:

And I feel super deluxe lucky that my Sephora has a MUFE boutique!! I’m spoiled, I know.

So the reason why I am posting today again is because I picked up two gorgeous polishes that I had not even heard about. Being the Sephwhora that I am, I can’t believe these flew under my radar. Are you ready for awesomeness?

This beauty is the Sephora + Pantone Universe Jewel Lacquer in Parachute Purple. I don’t even have the words to describe it right now.

I only picked up two of the colors because I wanted to try them out first before buying a few of the other colors that looked interesting. These are the two colors I got:

I was also really excited about their latest 500 pt perk so I ended up getting two. If you think about it, I had to spend $1,000 dollars to get these since each dollar is worth 1 point. lol

I usually think that their perks are lame and worthless so when something good comes around, I make sure to stock up. These are full-size tubes of Benefit Porefessional!!!

So what do you think about Parachute Purple? I can’t want to try Reflecting Pond. Are you going to check these out at Sephora?

Summer Blue

Posted on by Cynthia

Lately I have been on a China Glaze kick. Since I have so many dusties in my area, I always like to go and look for older China Glaze polishes…especially the pre big-3 free polishes. I am convinced that one of these days I am going to find Channelesque if I just look hard enough.

    

Rain Storm was first released in the China Rain collection for Spring/Summer 2001. It was then also re-promoted as part of the Rainbow of Hope Collection in 2010. Let me just tell you that I absolutely adore this polish. I don’t even care that it was crazy sheer and I needed 4 coats to reach bottle color.

    

And because I couldn’t help myself, I added a coat of China Glaze Blue Hawaiian. I am IN LOVE with this combination. I’ve seriously been wearing this for 2 days now and I anticipate leaving this on for at least another day! *gasp*

Even though it’s still early in the day here, it’s supposed to be a little cooler. I am so looking forward to it!!! OMG…I think I just heard the UPS guy’s truck. Gotta go!

Stamping Sunday: Can’t Wait For Fall

Posted on by Cynthia

I am a fall person. I can’t help it. I was born during the Autumnal Equinox, and I always found something poetic about it because I’ve always felt like I was an old soul with a darker disposition. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I hate summer so much!

This Sunday, our theme is “Can’t Wait For Fall” and it couldn’t be more appropriate for me. Today I’m teasing you with Pumpkin Delight, a color from the Jessica Spicy Dream collection that is not available just yet. It should be available this month so keep an eye out for it if you love dark, spicy and rich fall colors. If you would like to see swatches of the whole collection, you can click here.

I started out with 2 coats of Pumpkin Delight:

    

Then I used stamp BM 309 for this design. I’ve got to admit that I hate birds. They freak me out so this was a big step for me to actually have birds on my nails even if they are supposed to be cute owls.

    

   

So what do you think of this look? I wasn’t feeling super inspired today. This was actually my second mani for Stamping Sunday; the first one was a complete fail that I didn’t even photograph before taking it off. Don’t you hate it when things don’t work out at all the way you pictured them in your mind?

I hope this weekend has been nice and relaxing for you. The heat has not eased up here in So Cal so I’m beyond grouchy at this point. All I have to say is that next week better be cooler or else…

Kiss My A’s With Sticks N’ Stones

Posted on by Cynthia

When I ran into a nicely stocked Sation display, I knew I was in trouble. My usual Sation nail place is always out of the colors that I really want so I jumped all over this and grabbed way more than I should have:

Most of the polishes come from the Class Of Sation Collection which is freaking adorable. I love all the crazy names such as Jock Juggler, Class Flirt and Miss Emo Shun All.

Now I have another one to share with you: Kiss My A’s!

Sation calls this a vibrant watermelon shade but it looks a little more red/orange/coral to me. The more I look at it, the more I start to see the watermelon reference…although, if my watermelon was that color, I’d probably be afraid to eat it. lol Since this is a neon, it dries to a satin finish so you have to use a topcoat if you want a shiny finish. As usual, I used Seche Vite. If you don’t like VNL, you should use some white undies.

And for the final look, I layered a coat of Sticks N’ Stones over Kiss My A’s. I don’t know about you, but I lurve this! I am also super happy to get this version instead of giving any money to Miss Shady McShady (I think you know who I’m talking about!)

Today was a great nail mail day. I received my Cult Nails order that wasn’t scheduled for delivery until tomorrow so I was very happy.

Then I also received my latest Sephora order with my Illamasqua goodies and my VIB sample bag.

I accidentally bought 2 bottles of the yellow nails inc. so I’m putting one in my giveaway stash. 🙂

So what do you think about my combo of Kiss My A’s and Sticks N’ Stones? This polish came from my first Ninja Polish order and I am hooked. I also bought Humblebee which I will be trying soon. Currently I am waiting for Alexandrite to come back in stock…it literally sold out in hours. Ugh! I don’t know if the weather was more mild where you live, but it was actually bearable here today so I am definitely happy about that. Let’s hope that this becomes a cooling trend!

Thanks for stopping by!

Are You A Julep Maven? – Review & Giveaway!

Posted on by Cynthia

EDIT 8/28: Please make sure that If you follow my blog via email, that you confirm your subscription. If you don’t confirm it in your email, you will not show up as a follower.

How many of you have heard of Julep? Ever since I became a total polish freak, I have been keeping track of everything polish related as if my life depended on it. How many collections can one person possibly keep track of? The scary part is that I am a crazy polish savant and seem to remember the name of every polish and what collections they come from. Weird, right?

So, it’s about time I started looking into the Julep world. The intro box that I chose is the Boho Glam box which came with two bottles of nail polish and a tube of pedicure cream/moisturizer.

Julep polishes in Toni and Sasha and a tube of The Best Pedi Creme Ever!

I picked the Boho Glam box because of Toni. I know some of you are probably sick of the purple/greige polishes, but I am still seriously in love with them especially now that fall is coming. Sasha is not a color I would normally choose, but I’ve been trying to branch out a bit in my polish choices. I was also really looking forward to the pedi creme because I am always looking for something that will moisturize and exfoliate without being crazy greasy. When I looked at the tube closely, I noticed that there were mint leaves on it and my heart fell. I absolutely hate mint/peppermint scents on lotions because I always get headaches when I use them–especially if I apply them before bed. Well, I am happy to report that the mint scent is very faint and it smells more like cucumber to me: refreshing and cooling. I have used this pedi creme two days in a row and I have to tell you that I am in freaking love with this stuff. I don’t think that my feet have ever been as soft and best of all, the creme is not greasy at all. I will definitely be using this every single night…it’s a lifesaver. No more freaking out about wearing sandals or flip-flops!

I decided to wear Toni today:

Julep calls this a greige with a hint of lavender, and I think that it is a perfect description. It applied like a dream, and I only needed two thin coats for full opacity. I can’t get enough of creme polishes!!!

Now for the super deluxe good news: I am so excited to announce that I am hosting a giveaway in conjunction with Julep where you can win an intro Julep Maven box!! In order to enter, you can use this link: a Rafflecopter giveaway  This giveaway will run until 9/7/2012 so you have plenty of time to enter.

You can also sign up to be a Julep Maven for just $0.01 for your introductory box!!! YES, JUST ONE PENNY! How? Well, let me tell you how. Sign up by clicking on my link here and use promo code MAVENINTRO  By signing up using my link, you are helping support my site so click away! 🙂

For more information about the Julep Maven membership program, here are some details from Julep’s website:

As a Julep Maven, your monthly subscription of just $19.99 delivers exclusive access to at least $40 worth of products handpicked to suit your style.After your introductory box, you’ll start receiving a Julep Maven Box each month, including:

  • At least $40 worth of customized products elegantly packaged in our exclusive giftable box
  • New, never-before-released colors and treatments sent FIRST to you, before anyone else
  • Past hits and cult favorites–the products our girlfriends can’t live without.

Your Maven subscription also comes with free shipping, 20% off all purchases in the Julep Maven Boutique and the peace of mind that comes with knowing there’s never any obligation to buy.

We’ll send an email previewing your upcoming Julep Maven Box on the 20th of each month. Like what you see? Do nothing and your box is on its way. Want to try a new style, send your box to a friend or skip the month? Just log into your account between the 20th and the 24th to submit your request.

Don’t miss your chance to enter to win a free Julep Maven Intro box here. Even better, make sure you get your own box for just a penny by clicking here and using promo code MAVENINTRO

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you get a chance to try Julep because so far, I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of their products.

If you want an extra chance to win your very own Julep Maven intro box, visit Nicole’s blog here and enter there as well!! Woo hoo! Two chances?! Yes, please!

****These items were sent for review. This in no way influences my review and opinion of the product.****

Stamping Sunday: Using Two Stamps In One Manicure

Posted on by Cynthia

This is my third week participating in Stamping Sundays, and I think I finally like how my manicure turned out. First of all, I want to complain a little bit about how disgustingly hot it has been in Southern California. I spent hours in the pool yesterday which was the only way I thought I would get any relief. It doesn’t look like it’s going to get cooler any time soon so I’m going to have to just deal with it.

This is the first time I use Deborah Lippmann Dancing In The Sheets and I really like it. Orly Mysterious Curse, which I love, appears to be a very close dupe.

I finally decided to use my bottle of Max Factor Fantasy Fire, and it is all my little lacquered heart had ever hoped for. Look how gorgeous this looks with just one coat! I can’t even imagine what it will look like layered over different colors.

And lastly, I used stamp BM 310 and Wet N Wild I Can’t Stand Up Straight. We weren’t obligated to use two stamps on each nail so I decided to just alternate these two stamps. I like how this came out but it almost pained me to cover up the Fantasy Fire goodness.

What do you think of my effort today? I hope you like it as much as I do. Thanks for stopping by and keep cool!

a england Love

Posted on by Cynthia

I am ashamed to say that I had not tried any a england polishes before these three. For shame! I decided to take the plunge when  a sale was announced, and I am happy to report that I absolutely adore them. The formula was dreamy: consistent, buttery, pigmented and absolutely perfect. I kind of hate a england now because I can already imagine their polishes plunging me in a financial tailspin of epic proportions. I must have them all!!!!

GUINEVERE

GALAHAD

TRISTAM

It seems that summer has finally hit California. It has been so hot here the past few days that I am in an absolutely foul mood. Additionally, I had a major meltdown today because of HostGator. I had been thinking about having my blog hosted there and today I finally signed up. They made it sound like moving hosts would be a piece of cake and everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong for me. I am pretty sure that most of it is my fault, but I had asked so many questions beforehand and they really made it sound like a blindfolded monkey could do it. Alas, that is not the case. I decided to step away from it for the rest of the day since I spent all morning trying to figure it out. One of their support people called me (I had been dealing with online chat support) but I was so frustrated that I just didn’t want to talk to them. Hopefully I will be able to come back to it later and get it all straightened out. Let me tell you: WHAT.A.NIGHTMARE!

Let’s move on from my nightmare afternoon and back to the polish. What do you think of these colors? Are you as in love with them as I am? Do you have any a englands?

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope it’s cooler in your neck of the woods.

essence Gleam In Blue

Posted on by Cynthia

I think you have seen my recent Ulta polish hauls and how they tend to include tons of these cute little bottles of essence polishes.Today I have a new color that I hadn’t seen at Ulta in the past–probably because it was always out of stock. Behold, Gleam In Blue!

When I first put this color on, I was torn: is it a full on frost, metallic or a combination of the two? Well, I’m sure that you’ve heard me complain about frosts AND metallics. (I’m looking at you, Nicole!) In fact, that combination reminds me of the most horrific creation known to mankind if you are a poultry hater: the turducken! For those of you who may not be familiar with a turducken, it is a de-boned chicken stuffed into a de-boned duck, stuffed into a de-boned turkey. I am dry heaving over here. Anyway, I was surprisingly happy with this polish. It has a thicker consistency than I am used to from essence polishes, but it was still fairly easy to control. If you’re careful with your application, you could actually get away with one coat! If I had to pick one thing that I didn’t like, it would be that it’s somewhat prone to visible brushstrokes if you overwork the polish; otherwise, the brushstrokes aren’t too visible and a nice topcoat will definitely help.

And just because I feel that every mani gets better with a little stamping action, I used plate BM 312 and Konad special polish in white for this design. Pretty, right? I chose this stamp because it had a sort of whimsical, airy and cloud-like feeling to it that I felt complimented the color of this polish. Anyone else get a sort of bridal feeling from this look?

Gleam In Blue was one of the 10 new colors that were introduced in the Colour & Go line for Spring/Summer 2012. essence products can be purchased at ULTA, HEB, Fred Meyer and Shoppers Drug Mart if you’re in Canada. These polishes still retail for $.99. However, it appears that this line is being re-designed with a new bottle shape and with a price increase to $1.99. I will follow up on this once I start to see the new stock at my local Ulta.

So what do you think of this polish? Too frosty/metallic-y? Do you think the stamping compliments the polish, or was it better on its own? Let me know what you think and thanks for stopping by.

Remember: Enabling = Caring

****This item was sent for review. This in no way influences my review and opinion of the product.****