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31 Inspired Days of Nail Art – Day 12 : Chevron Nails

Posted on 13 October, 2012 by Cynthia

I was feeling completely uninspired about doing today’s challenge. I love chevrons on my nails, but I don’t think that chevrons would look good on my rounded super short nails so I decided to to inverted chevrons.

Sation Rock-a-guy Blue is a great blue that I recently purchased. It’s my favorite color from the Little Horse On The Prairie Collection.

I then used Sation Blue Sky’s The Limit for the inverted chevron tips. I am so annoyed that I didn’t see a couple of fibers on my nails and now I can’t do anything about it. Grrrrrr!

I don’t know why I decided to stamp over this, but I did…

I used the paisley print from Bundle Monster plate BM 315 and Wet N Wild’s I Can’t Stand Up Straight. This is so subtle that I can barely tell the stamping is there in indirect light. I’m totally not feeling this stamp on these base colors–can’t win them all.

I need to go cook dinner so forgive me if I’m not particularly talkative throughout this post. Today is a crappy day–just feeling a little down in the dumps so hopefully I’ll feel better once I eat something. Food: always the answer! 🙂

Don’t forget to check out the other manicures my lovely challenge participants created. Thanks for catching up with me today.

September is PCOS Awareness Month

Posted on 1 September, 2012 by Cynthia

As I was catching up on twitter this morning, I cam across a few posts from a few ladies talking about September being PCOS Awareness Month–I had no idea! I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2007 and have been dealing with all the problems that accompany it. For those of you who may not be aware of what PCOS is, here is an overview from the Mayo Clinic:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age. The name of the condition comes from the appearance of the ovaries in most, but not all, women with the disorder — enlarged and containing numerous small cysts located along the outer edge of each ovary (polycystic appearance).

Infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne and obesity can all occur in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. In adolescents, infrequent or absent menstruation may signal the condition. In women past adolescence, difficulty becoming pregnant or unexplained weight gain may be the first sign.

The exact cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is unknown. Early diagnosis and treatment may reduce the risk of long-term complications, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Being diagnosed was a whole process since one of my doctors scared me into thinking I possibly had endometrial cancer after seeing my ultrasound results. Needless to say, that was a stressful time. Dealing with PCOS is a kind of a roller coaster ride because it’s manageable but sometimes completely throws your body into the gutter. I was surprised to find out that not many people know about PCOS even though it is a common disorder. I try to look at the bright side: since it is hormonal, at least I have an excuse when I am a raging hormonal bitch…right? RIGHT?!

I started out with Zoya Charla:

This is three coats of Charla. This is the first time I wear this polish and it’s goygeous.

I used plate BM 321 for the design and I frankened my own stamping polish with a mix of some stamping polishes and some regular polishes. It turned out pretty good! I like that the ribbons aren’t super noticeable but you can really see them up close.

Look what happened to my bottle of Charla:

I am lucky that it didn’t completely shatter, but now I’m worried that maybe it will break at some random time because the glass is so thin on the side. Poor Charla! 🙁 I can’t believe that it’s still ok despite me dropping it down the stairs.

So besides the disgusting heat, I hope you enjoy your weekend. Till next time!

Kiko #336 Blu Elettrico

Posted on 29 August, 2012 by Cynthia

Last week I was checking out my favorite blogs and Jess from Once Upon A Polish had posted her review of Nails Inc. Baker Street. Being the Nails Inc. fan that I am, I was drooling over her swatches. I had seen this polish so many times and I kept putting off purchasing it. Why? I don’t know!!! I guess I’m crazy. I actually wanted to purchase Illamasqua Force but I have read on multiple blogs how it changes color and becomes a weird dusty murky medium blue!!! What?! I love Illamasqua, but I don’t want a polish that changes color as it ages. Look at what happened to it here on Scrangie’s blue comparison. So when I received this Kiko beauty, I knew I could pass on Baker Street (for now…ha!)

Kiko is a brand that is 100% new to me, and I was fortunate enough to receive this polish from my polish dealer, Sabrina, from Polish in Paris. Let me tell you first that I am in freaking love with this brand. I like the formula, I like the brush…I like everything!

How beautiful is this blue? Seriously?

I used Bundle Monster plate 322 for this houndstooth design and I much prefer this larger design than the one on my Konad plate. I don’t know what’s wrong with all the white special polishes I have purchased lately: they are not as vibrant and opaque as the first Konad special polish I bought and I’ve purchased them from the same seller so I know it’s not like I’m getting a fake product–at least I hope not! They also haven’t been as thick as my other special polishes so I am thinking of maybe leaving them open to see if they will thicken up a bit.

It has been crazy hot here in the last couple of weeks and I’ve been sweating like a whore in church. I’ve been trying to clean out my closet AND start making room for my 4th melmer since I have outgrown my polish storage once again. I have managed to clear out a lot of stuff that I just don’t need and got some new bedding. I think the pattern is kind of too busy for me since I like pristine white bedding, but I kind of fell in love with the colors and kept thinking of some stamping plates that are similar to the patterns on my comforter.

All in all, I am super happy with this truly electric blue polish, and I adore the blue/white stamping combination. I have already tried out the other Kiko beauty I received so I will be sharing that with you shortly. It’s a gorgeous duochrome! I hope you are staying cool in this crazy hot weather. Also, keep those in the path of hurricane Issac in your thoughts. Please stay safe if you are in the affected areas.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time!

Stamping Sunday: Can’t Wait For Fall

Posted on 19 August, 2012 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…

Stamping Sunday: Using Two Stamps In One Manicure

Posted on 12 August, 2012 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!

essence Gleam In Blue

Posted on 9 August, 2012 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.****

Dear Nails, Please Grow Faster

Posted on 25 July, 2012 by Cynthia

My hair has grown enough that it is now refusing to cooperate. I had some real craziness going on today with my hair; so much so that L. was laughing at the state of my hair. It was like an out of control, curly, frizzy and lopsided pompadour. I just wish my nails grew as fast as my cray hair. :/ I really miss having longer nails to work with when I do stamping so I haven’t been playing with any of my plates for almost 2 weeks!!! The following is a mani that I did a while back but hadn’t gotten around to posting. I started with a couple of coats of Essence Black is Black.

Doesn’t this seriously look like patent leather? I think this is my favorite black nail polish.

I used plate BM 320 for this design along with Konad special polish in yellow. I really wish that the yellow polish had been more opaque. Maybe it looks like that because it was stamped over black?

I’m not feeling particularly talky tonight so I’ll leave it at that. What do you think of this mani?

Color Club Hydrangea Kiss

Posted on 10 July, 2012 by Cynthia

Did you know that the hydrangea is the 4th wedding anniversary flower? I didn’t. I didn’t even know there were “anniversary flowers” to begin with. Who comes up with this stuff? I mean, isn’t it completely arbitrary? Maybe I can start saying that a can of Hormel Chili is the new 1st anniversary present. Forget the whole “paper” thing. I mean, what’s more romantic than a can of Hormel Chili? Despite my annoyance with certain weird traditions, I have to admit that hydrangeas are gorgeous.

Hydrangea Kiss is the only color that I purchased from the Color Club Spring 2012 Blossoming Collection, and I don’t know what really attracted me to it. Yeah, it’s pretty but is it really unique? Not really.

I don’t know if it’s the same with other polishes from this collection, but I found that the formula was a little thin and sheer. The first coat was seriously like a wash of color on my nails. I ended up applying 3 coats because the second coat dragged a bit, and I had to even it all out. It’s important to let the polish dry a bit in between coats to avoid this.

Are you surprised that I did more stamping? I used a design on BM 314 to stamp the area between the silver striping tape. I bought my striping tape on eBay, and it doesn’t seem to stick very well. I wonder if maybe the heat from the trip from Hong Kong made the glue go bad. It was definitely a pain to manipulate the tape, and it was almost curling up on a couple of areas. Ugh! Still, I really like how this turned out.

Did you purchase any colors from this Color Club collection? What do you think of these nails? Let me know what you think about this and my Hormel Chili idea.

Sara Smile

Posted on 9 July, 2012 by Cynthia

Has there ever been a song named after a person and you secretly you wish that was your name…even just for the length of the song? Well, that’s me with Sara Smile.

I don’t really know why I thought this would be a good way to open up this blog post, but the only reason I can think of is that I heard a bit of this song when I watched The Fighter tonight. Believe it or not, I had not watched this movie until tonight, and it was freaking awesome. I think I’ve stated on here before what a huge H&O fan I am, but I don’t think anyone understand what an understatement that is. Any time I hear a H&O song, I have to sing along with it…no matter where I am.

Let’s move along from Hall & Oates and back to nail polish! OPI DS Coronation has made quite a few appearances on my blog and rightly so! It’s a freaking amazing scattered silver holo.

DS Coronation applies like a dream. It only take two coats and it really settles and flows perfectly on my nails. There is absolutely no way that you can mess up a mani if you’re using this polish. And since my Bundle Monster obsession continues, I stamped this baby up!

I used plate BM 319 for this design. I really like the design but I keep thinking that these nails look Christmas-y because of the color combination I used. Maybe I would have liked them better if I had used black for the design. Despite my reservations about my color choices, I adore this design. Ugh…I am a stamping fool lately.

What do you think of these nails? Do you have any Designer Series OPIs? Do you think they are worth the extra money? What different color combination would you use for this stamping look?

“Hello Oscar Mayer Weiner…Lover.”

Posted on 5 July, 2012 by Cynthia

My hot dog looks a little anorexic and frankly kinda burnt. So what?! It was still good. Oh, 4th of July was a day of ridiculous feasting for my family. We had a bbq and endless snacks. My mom made a beautiful fruit platter so that she could fool herself into thinking that at least we were eating one healthy thing. Yeah, right! The city where I live allows fireworks so we went outside to watch everyone set off their fireworks. My youngest brother bought a bunch and was creating his own by ripping up picolo petes and the like. Boys! Overall, I had a really nice time playing Scrabble and watching movies. I finally watched Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid and I really liked it. I mean, what is there not to like? Robert Redford. Like! Robert Redford. Double Like!! And Robert Redford…

I’ve been super excited about playing with my new Bundle Monster plates so I tried stamping without using my special polishes. I really like the look of the special polishes because they are so pigmented and always produce really crisp designs. I started with a base of OPI French Quarter For Your Thoughts.

I seriously love this color. It’s so different from all the bright and crazy colors that I have been wearing lately.

I used OPI Ski Teal We Drop as the stamping color and plate BM 319 for the jigsaw puzzle design. This color stamped better than I thought it would. I usually don’t have much luck with stamping using regular nail polish so I’m glad this wasn’t a total disaster. If you like stamping or are interested in getting started, you MUST get these new Bundle Monster plates. They are so much fun and will change the way you do your nails.

How was your 4th of July?

P.S. Do you know where the title of my post came from?