Of Life and Lacquer

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,

Mentality Nail Polish – Swatches & Review

Posted on 17 June, 20139 December, 2013 by Cynthia

Mondays suck. There, I said it. I was feeling down in the dumps last night about a variety of things and also because I was dreading going in to work this morning. So I started to think about fun things, and I fell asleep thinking about how great it felt to be a kid without all the adult worries. Isn’t it crazy how when you’re a kid, all you wish is that you could be a grown up but when you’re an adult you look back on the simplicity of childhood with a fond nostalgia? Well, last night I had a dream about one of the funnier episodes of my childhood.

You’ve got to imagine what I was like as a child: I am the oldest child. My first words were “¿Qué es eso?” which means “What’s that?” in Spanish. I was bossy, loud and kind of obnoxious. Oh, and the worst part was that I had a crazy imagination. Since I grew up in such a bad neighborhood, my mom wouldn’t let my brother and I go outside and play because she didn’t want us running into crack whores or pimps and also didn’t want us finding another dead body. Yes, I said another because I did find a dead body when I was like 4. Anyway, this forced my brother and I to find ways to entertain ourselves. One particular day, I decided that we should jump up and down on my parent’s bed. We were literally going batshit crazy, and I accidentally jumped right on the edge of the mattress and the wooden base just snapped. Holy crap, I still remember what it felt like to realize we had just broken my parent’s bed. My brother, who was a major momma’s boy and cried about everything at the drop of a hat, started bawling because he knew we were in deep shit. I pulled him aside and told him that we were going to pretend like we knew nothing about the bed. We conspired to get my mom to go into their room and have her sit on the edge of the bed and then act surprised that she broke the bed. Only a 6 and 4 year old would consider this a good idea. We tried to act normal, but I’m sure that we looked like a couple of spaz balls. When we finally got my mom to come in and sit down on the bed, she knew exactly what had happened. I remained pokerfaced while my brother burst into tears and pretty much sold me down the river. I’ll spare you the details of our punishment, but I can tell you I’m still bitter about my brother being such a crybaby. These are the things I remember the most about how awesome it was to be a kid.

Now that I have regaled you with my ridiculous childhood adventure, let’s get to the polish. These lovely polishes were a gift from a reader (thank you, Heather!) Two of these polishes are shimmers and the other two are holos so let’s take a look at the shimmers first. Get ready for Mentality Nail Polish shimmer domination!

Mentality Nail Polish Patience

Mentality Nail Polish Vigilance

The formula on both of these polishes is identical. I am sorry to say that they are super finicky and kind of a pain in the ass. I figured out that it’s super important not to overwork the polish–they act almost like really touchy metallic chrome polishes. You may have noticed some bubbling on my swatches, and that is the result of overworking the polish. It’s too bad that they acted this way because the colors are out of this world. If you try these out, I highly recommend that you try to apply the polish in one swipe without going over the same spot while it’s freshly applied and also let each coat dry before applying another. These polishes are super pigmented, and I only needed two coats for full coverage.

Mentality Nail Polish Entice

Mentality Nail Polish Charm

These are the two holos that I was most excited about. Unfortunately, my pictures don’t really capture the pretty holo effect too well, but I can tell you that they look gorgeous in sunlight. I had a much better application experience with these because I learned from the issues I had with the shimmers. These polishes are super opaque and you *might* be able to get away with one coat if you’re careful, but I applied two coats out of habit. These two colors are so UNIQUE in my holo collection so I am seriously in love with them.

Overall, I am pleased with my first experience with Mentality Nail Polish. I wish they hadn’t been so finicky, but I definitely think they are worth the effort because these colors are gorgeous and out of this world.

I couldn’t resist sharing that because I used to watch Out Of This World religiously, and I can still sing the whole intro theme song. I know, I’m a nerd.

So, if you’re interested in seeing more of what Mentality Nail Polish has to offer, make sure that you follow them on facebook because they always have updates AND they are currently running a 25% off sale! Seriously…go buy some. NOW! You can find them at the following places:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MentalityPolish

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MentalityNailPolish

Big Cartel: http://www.mentalitynailpolish.bigcartel.com/

Let me know what you think of these polishes! I’d love to hear what you think. And one more time, a huge thanks to Heather for being so kind and awesome!

Winner Announced: Essie Summer Collection Minis 2013

Posted on 16 June, 2013 by Cynthia

I hope you’re all having a great Sunday. This is just a short post to announce the winner of my Essie Summer Collection Minis giveaway. Thanks to everyone for entering but there can only be one winner. A big congratulations to…

Yay Sarah! I have contacted Sarah via email and she has 48 hours to get back to me or else I will be forced to pick a new winner. Once again, I appreciate all of your support. Don’t forget that I still have another giveaway running for a set of the OPI Couture de Minnie Minis set. Just click on the image below to be taken to the giveaway page.

Congrats again, Sarah!

Ninja Polish Mystic Glacier

Posted on 14 June, 2013 by Cynthia

I’ve been catching up on my TV shows this afternoon which includes mostly cooking competition shows, and now I want eggs benedict for dinner really badly. I get the most random cravings sometimes, but I just did not want to go through the heartache of trying to make my own hollandaise and have it blow up in my face. For someone who hates birds so much, I sure do love eggs. So what did I end up eating instead? I ate a chocolate pudding pop. Oh man, I love those things. While I ate it, I was thinking of one of my favorite episodes of Roseanne ever.

“It’s just me and my ganja.” OMG…I nearly died when she said that. Roseanne really is one of my favorite shows ever…I even forgave them when the show jumped the shark. Wasn’t the ending like a punch in the gut? Anyway this is a nail polish blog, right? I better start moving along and show you the star of today’s post: Ninja Polish Mystic Glacier.

No, your eyes are not fooling you: Ninja Polish Mystic Glacier really is THAT spectacular. I don’t even have the words to describe how beautiful this polish is. It’s steel-y, arctic, vibrant and just plain jaw-dropping gorgeous. The formula did feel a little thin so I had to apply 3 thickish coats to make sure that I had full coverage. When a polish is this gorgeous, you don’t mind applying 3 coats. Mystic Glacier dries kind of satiny so I think a glossy topcoat is a must.

It looks like Mystic Glacier is currently out of stock over at Ninja Polish so make sure that you sign up for an email notification of when it comes back in stock if you are interested in getting this. One day I was randomly looking at all the beautiful polishes and I noticed that Mystic Glacier was in stock so I jumped right on it. I’m just lucky that way! I hope you’ve enjoyed the polish and the Roseanne tidbit. Thanks for the visit, and I’ll talk to you soon!

Shimmer Polish Part 3

Posted on 13 June, 20132 July, 2013 by Cynthia

Heeeeey! It’s Thursday! Are you excited? I would be if I had a normal Monday-Friday job but I’ll be excited for you, ok? Well, I just got home from an interview. It was with an agency so I wasn’t expecting much because you know how most temp agencies operate. To be honest, this place did seem different but I was impressed because the recruiter was running late and made me wait 30 minutes while she finished up another interview. Then when she got me in there, I realized she had given me the wrong information for the job she was calling me about. She told me the company was located in one city but it ended up being another city that is a bit further away. I am kind of irritated at this point and the interview–if you can call it that–was just kind of lame. I’m not sure if I really want to work with them further, but I’m going to give them a chance because the company she wants to send my resume to sounds interesting and kind of promising. We shall see. I have another interview tomorrow (not an agency!) which I’m looking forward to. At least things are moving, right? And to cap off the day, I have lots of glitter babies to brighten my evening with their shiny and sparkly goodness. Let’s look at my third and final installment of Shimmer Polish swatches!

Shimmer Polish Liana (Finger Paints Go Van Gogh!)

Shimmer Polish Nichole (Finger Paints Tiffany Impostor)

Shimmer Polish Mary (Finger Paints Free Form Fawn)

Shimmer Polish Eva (Finger Paints If It Ain’t Baroque, Don’t Fix It!)

So what do you think about these glitters? I absolutely adore every single polish that I have tried–Cindy is a true glitter master! Make sure that you check out my other Shimmer Polish reviews: Part 1 and Part 2. Despite being massive glitter bombs, these polishes are easy to work with so I couldn’t be happier with them.

For news on Shimmer Polish and to keep up with all the gorgeous beauties that Cindy creates, don’t forget to follow her on all of her social media sites:

Website: http://www.shimmyshimmer.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShimmerPolish

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShimmerPolish

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShimmerPolish

Thanks for stopping by today, and I”ll leave you with a song I’ve been singing all day:

Morgan Taylor Lacquer – First Look

Posted on 12 June, 2013 by Cynthia

Ah, well…I wish I had great news today regarding the interview I told you about yesterday but things didn’t quite work out the way I was expecting. I’m really frustrated and disappointed right now but, you know what? I just need to continue to move forward. The more I dwell on things, the worse I feel so I’m just going to put it behind me. Something funny just happened to me. I went to the supermarket because I needed some groceries. If you don’t know this about me, I love to sing. Like I seriously love to sing and enjoy karaoke despite not having a good signing voice. Singing in my car is one of the things that I love to do and I usually don’t care if people look at me weird. So today I was singing Sublime’s Santeria at the top of my lungs when it came on the radio. Do you remember that song?

So right when I was in the middle of this, a car of stoner looking teens drove up next to me and they were like: “Awww yeahhh!!!” And they started singing with me. That made me crack up inside and kind of brightened my afternoon a bit. I was planning to do my nails to kind of distract me, but instead I decided to show you my swatches of a few polishes that I purchased last week. If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for new polish brands to try it. One of the owners of the handful of beauty supply stores that I frequent is always keeping me in the loop about new brands or releases. He had mentioned Morgan Taylor Lacquer a few months ago so I was super excited to see that they had gotten them in. I went a little gaga when I saw the full display but I held back by just purchasing 3 polishes instead of the 20 I wanted. Are you ready to see my swatches of the three Morgan Taylor Lacquer beauties I purchased?

Hot Hot Tamale is one of those really bright red orange colors that make your nails look like they are on fire! The formula on this polish was spectacular: super pigmented, smooth and glossy. I applied two regular coats for full coverage. I kept thinking of Hot Tamales the whole time. I may like this color even more since tamales are like my favorite holiday food of ALL TIME.

I don’t know if you remember the craze that Sephora by OPI Metro Chic caused when it first came out. Ever since then, I have been in love with smoky purple/taupe polishes. Met My Match is a smoky purple–definitely not very taupe-y. Again, the formula was perfection in a bottle and I only needed two coats for full opacity.

And lastly, here is Gotta Have Hue. Yes, I love this super hard. The color is gorgeous and the application was flawless. This was nearly a one coater but 2 coats are ideal here.

So what do I think of Morgan Taylor so far? Uhm, home run! Any time I try a new brand, I always go for their creme polishes first because that is my favorite finish. If a brand can’t make excellent creme polishes, I usually walk away. I am so happy with the formula, application and brush of these polishes which is good and bad; good because I didn’t waste my money and bad because I will now be wasting A LOT of my money on these. ha! If you can get your hands on these polishes, I highly recommend them. I’ll be picking up some new colors soon with different finishes to see how those perform.

I so appreciate all the wonderful comments you all left in my last post. I read every single comment, and I can’t tell you how much it means to me that some of you publicly or privately share your stories and words of encouragement. Never in a million years did I think I would find so many wonderful people in this lovely community–thank you all for taking the time to interact with me here, twitter and facebook.

Much love,

Butter London All Hail The Queen

Posted on 11 June, 2013 by Cynthia

Hello everyone! What a dreary day this has been! I’m starting to wonder what’s going on with Southern California lately because the weather is just so darn strange. I guess I shouldn’t be complaining because once it starts getting really hot, wildfire season breaks out and that is always a very heart breaking time of the year for us in So Cal. I was going to post a review today for some new polishes, but I decided to instead share with you my mani for tomorrow’s interview. I’ve talked before about how important I think it is to make a good impression which includes everything from your clothes to your nails. My all-time favorite neutral polish with a little bit of attitude is Butter London All Hail The Queen.

I don’t know about you, but this is such a gorgeous polish. If you aren’t into flashy colors, this is perfect–and even if you are, this is still a polish worth picking up. I just love how neutral it is yet it’s not boring at all. This is three thin coats of the polish but I think 2 thick coats would have been sufficient. It’s just a beautiful and glossy color–that’s all I have to say about that.

Growing up, there was a shopping center that was the place to go hang out. In the last 10 years, the place went to hell and was basically a ghost town. I am now happy to say that in recent months, this area has been revived. Look how pretty all these new restaurants and shops look!

I just love that this place isn’t creepy and decrepit anymore! My friend and I went to catch a movie so I took these pictures. Afterwards we headed to my sushi mecca:

Personally, I ate more than any sane human being should and my stomach is definitely protesting. I won’t take credit for this term, but any time that I eat too much, I always say I need to have a food baby or start talking about immediate evacuation. I don’t think people around me think it’s as funny…oh well!

If you wouldn’t mind, please send positive vibes my way for tomorrow. I always get super nervous about interviews beforehand, but my nerves melt away once I’m there. I hope that if this is the right job for me, that all goes well. Like I have said many times before, I just want a job that challenges me but that doesn’t make me want to jump off a bridge because I hate my life so much after being there for 8 hours.

Much love,