China Glaze Party Hearty Over China Glaze Snow

Okay, I know we've all seen this a million times, but it was so pretty I had to do it for my Christmas mani.  I layered China Glaze Party Hearty over China Glaze Snow.  I was really surprised when I put on Snow.  It was opaque in 2 coats (which is rare for a white polish)!  It's not stark white like Sally Hansen Whirlwind White (another 2 coat white polish), but it almost has a squishy look to it.  I love it.  Party Hearty is a glitter (swoon) with red hex glitter, smaller square green glitter, and even smaller silver glitter.  Absolute love.

Also don't forget to enter my giveaway here.  It ends January 3rd.

Milani One Coat Glitter - Silver Dazzle and Giveaway Reminder

I know you've seen these a million times, but I'm going to add in my 2 cents too.  I wore this mani for Christmas Eve and loved it.  The bottle claims that these are one coat glitters.  I wouldn't quite say these are one coaters, they're more like 1 and a half coaters if that were even possible lol.  This glitter is extremely dense and you get a nice full coverage in 2 coats which makes these amazing.  Removal wasn't too bad either ( not like the horror that is Milani Jewel FX in Gold, but that's for another day).

Indoors (Artificial light):

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway for a set of China Glaze Martini Pedicure here!

Giveaway!

It's Christmas time and I figure it's about that time to spread a little polish love to my followers.  I really do appreciate all of you.  About a year and a half ago, before I even started this blog, I found a dusty.  It wasn't anything too special.  And then I saw China Glaze Martini Pedicure.  The whole thing.  I got one for myself and one to give away when I finally started my blog.

(Sorry the picture isn't so great)

So today, I'm giving away a brand new, never used or opened, set of China Glaze Martini Pedicure.  In this collection are Straight Up, Martini Lunch, Tarnished & Varnished, Shaken Not Stirred, Martini Pedicure, and Sass in a Glass.

The rules:
-This is for US followers only (sorry)
-You must follow via Google Friend Connect
-Leave a comment on this post with your GFC name and email address.  Each person gets one chance.  Please don't leave more than one comment.

The giveaway will end January 3, 2011 at 11:59pm Pacific Standard time.  I will announce the winner within 48 hours after January 3rd.

MAC Jade Dragon

Well, I had to file my nails down even more.  I just can't get any respect.  Anyways, this is Jade Dragon.  I bought this a while back sometime in September.  It's a beautiful dark green with a blue shimmer.  The shimmer is much like that used by a lot of polish brands this year (OPI, Zoya, Orly).

This is a color that is definitely better looking in person.  I was hoping I could take a picture of it in some sun light, but of course as soon as I get back to LA for winter break, it decides it wants to pour down raining for the entire weekend D:

Claire's Magic

Now, I never regarded Claire's as a place to find great polish, but this is gorgeous.  It's a purple with shimmer and I'm not sure I can quite call what color the shimmer is, but it's lovely.

This is three coats.

Guest Nails: NARS Zulu

So my friend Dana came over to say hi and bring me some greens and mac & cheese from Ooohs and Aaahs mmm.  Of course I have nail polish bottles all over the place so she just had to have her nails done.  She picked out my beloved NARS Zulu that I haven't even worn yet and being the nice friend that I am, I obliged lol.

This is base coat, 3 coats of Zulu and Poshe topcoat.  Zulu needed 3 coats to even things out a bit, but if you apply it right, you can get away with 2 and a more obvious green color.

Don't they look lovely?

China Glaze Up All Night

This one is a beautiful "almost black" blue.  For the most part this polish looks like a dark navy blue creme, but it's secretly hiding a gorgeous shimmer that only shows in bright lights and bright sunlight.  This one was pretty opaque in 1 coat, but it took 2 coats for perfection.  It almost glided on my finger nails and it dries with a nice shine without topcoat.  These picture have topcoat because I'm just impatient as hell.  I can't imagine a life without one of my beloved quick dry top coats.

This is how it looks under bright lights:

This is what it looks like in most other lights:

Icing True Beauty

Army greens don't look great against my skin tone, but for some reason, they always end up in my stash.  Case and point, Icing True Beauty.  I saw it, and had to have it.  I wish I had my Rescue Beauty Lounge No More War to compare it to.

This color is a definite must have for all army green fans.  The formula is a little thick, but it applies nicely and is opaque in one coat if you apply it right.  Of course I didn't, so this is two coats.

OPI Royal Rajah Ruby

This one comes from OPI's 2008 spring collection.  It's a red shimmer in a dark brown base.  It has a lit from within look, but because the base is dark brown and not black, it almost has a dustier look to it.

This shade was opaque in two coats, but I used three to even it up.  Three seems to be the magic number for me. I've been wearing this for a couple of days, so excuse the tip wear.

Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone has been having loads of fun this weekend.  I've done enough partying this weekend so I'll be staying in studying and maybe watch a few scary movies with my roomies.

So of course, I had to have Halloween themed nails to help me celebrate.  Last year I wore China Glaze's Spellbound, but this year I busted out the "Crack Polish."  I bought this a year and a half ago and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to wear it.  This is Crack polish in black over Wet n Wild Sunny Side Up.

China Glaze Something Sweet

It's been a while since I've posted.  Between moving back to DC and starting up school again, life has been hectic and has left little time for blogging.  Thank you to all of my followers.  All 105 of you!  I never thought I'd get that many so soon.  I plan on having a giveaway before the end of the year.  I've been collecting some goodies.


This is my mani of a few days ago in support of breast cancer awareness month.  China Glaze's Something Sweet is a part of the Up and Away Spring 2010 collection.  I love my unique polishes, but there's something about a pale opaque pink that I love.  As with a lot of pastels, this color required about 4 coats to get rid of all streaks, bald spots, and unevenness.

Finger Paints Blissfully Blue

Blissfully Blue was apart of a limited edition collection Finger Paints put out in the spring.  You may still be able to find these at Sally's in the clearance bin.

This is a pretty bright blue-white color and really pops.  It's like the blue version of OPI Mod About You (which I also love).  It's a great summer color and I like to wear it on my toes when I get tired of white and silver.

This picture is two coats with top coat.

Color Club Gossip Column

This is a picture from my "archives".  Gossip Column is a part of Color Club's Rebel Debutante collection for Spring 2010.

If I remember correctly, this is three coats (a habit of mine), but two is all that's needed.

Illamasqua Blow

Blow.  Am I the only one who giggled at the name? lol

Anyways, this is a pretty yellow.  It's kind of like white and a neon yellow got together and had a baby (more white than neon yellow).   Application on this one was not like my other Illamasquas, but it's a yellow.  It applied better than I expected.  This is three coats for opacity.

Nubar Night Sparkle

Another Nubar!  This one is a beautiful dark blue glitter in dark Blue base.  The glitter is pretty fine, but obviously glitter.  This beauty was opaque in 2 coats and definitely needs some topcoat.  I used 2 coats of top coat to take away all the grittiness.

Nubar Orange Cream

This is hands down my favorite orange.  It complements my skin and it's pastel.  It takes about 3 coats for opacity, something I don't mind at all.

Maybelline Banana Puddin'

Ever since seeing swatches of this polish on MUA, I needed this polish.  Not wanted, but needed it.  I searched high and low at Dollar Tree and other stores like it.  And then Sarah over at Sparkly Paints had a give away for this HTF (hard to find) polish and I won!

Like most yellows, it was a pain in my big left toe to apply.  It took 4 coats not even it out  and for bottle color, but it was worth it to me.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Diddy Mow

This is a murky green gray that turns more gray against my skin tone.  It's a creme with a barely noticeable shimmer.  It's gorgeous and the formula is amazing as with most Rescue Beauty Lounge lacquers.  It was opaque in one coat, but this is two.

Finger Paints Art Dealer Teal-er

This color is a lovely teal frost borderline shimmer.  I'm usually not one for frost, but I couldn't resist.  It starts of sheer, but build up very well.  I used three coats.

This brand can be found at Sally's.

L'Oreal Star Magnet in Prune

Today I decided to wear on of my Star Magnet polishes in Prune.  I tracked these down about a year ago as a substitute to the Lancome Le Magnetiques that I missed out on.

This polish has magnetic particles in it.  You paint your nails with the polish and while still wet, hold it up to the magnet that comes with the bottle for about 30 seconds.  After, you come out with a beautiful star like pattern on the nail.
 

With the magnet it comes with (sometimes if you get your nail too close to the magnet, it will pull the polish toward it):

 ETA:  This polish was exclusive to the UK and is discontinued.  I bought mine a year ago from ebay uk.

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

Flip Flop Fantasy is from China Glaze's Poolside collection.  I had such a hard time photographing this color accurately and it's still not accurate.  It's one of those polishes that seems to be a different color in every light and I still don't know if I want to call it pink or orange.  The description describes it as a coral.

Like most neons this dried to a matte finish.

Outside in full sunlight:

Shade:

OPI Siberian Nights and Broken Nail Update

I decided to chop off my nails and start over.  So in celebration of my new shorties, I decided to bust out a vampy.

Siberian Nights is a shiny vampy purple that's almost black in some lights.  It only needed 2 coats to cover up any bald spots.

Color Club Ultra Violet and a Broken Nail

This is Color Club Ultra Violet from last years Electro Candy Collection.  It's a bright purple with beautiful blue shimmer in it.  This was three coats.

I also broke a nail that you can probably see in this picture.  I can't decide if I want to chop off all my nails, or try and salvage it and wait until it grows out a bit more.  What do y'all think?

Misa Pour Me Something Tall and Strong

I'd love this polish for the name alone, but this is also a bottle of awesomeness.  A beautiful jelly and a neon royal blue color.  Misa is so underrated.  I just wish they'd come out with a new collection.

Diamond Cosmetics Don't Teal My Heart Away

This is a older shot of one of my favorite teal polishes.  It's such vibrant and pigmented color.  I think this is 3 coats.  Anyways, you can't really loose at $2 a polish.

China Glaze Visit Me in Prism

From China Glaze's Kaleidoscope Collection, I bring you Visit Me in Prism.  This collection is consisted of large holo particles.  Visit Me in Prism is a pretty Silver/Lavender holo.

Rimmel Steel Grey

It's been so overcast here it's depressing.  It's June gloom in July.  Because of the weather, I thought it'd be fitting to wear one of the taupe colors in my stash.

Steel Grey isn't really gray at all so I'm not sure where they got the name from, but it's a pretty color.  It's in the same family as OPI You Don't Know Jacques and OPI Over the Taupe, but it has more of a purple hue to it.  It took two coats for opacity, but I'm an avid three coater, so this is three coats

Color Club Twiggie

This is a nice light green cream.  It needed 2 coats for opacity.

Orly Snowcone

Snowcone is a pretty periwinkle blue and comes from a collection of pastels.  Pastels are notoriously known for their horrible applications, but this is a pastel that only needs one coat to be smooth and opaque.  That alone makes this polish a winner. 

Happy 4th of July !

Every year, I get the courage to marble my nails once or twice.  And every year I swear I'm never going to do it again lol.  The results usually come out nice, but it's the getting there.  It's such a messy process.  Last night I got brave again and decided to try my hand at marbling again.  It didn't end horribly, but it's not my best work either.

*I used OPI Dating a Royal, Sally Hansen Cherry, and Sally Hansen White On

NARS Dovima

This is a gorgeous "tomato red."  It's a classic.

Application wasn't anything to get excited about, but it wasn't bad either.  Just average.  It's also not the most unique color either, so I'm sure there are some cheaper alternatives.  All I know is that I can't wait for the re-release of NARS Zulu!

Orly Shine

This is a pretty foil silver.  I needed two coats for opacity, it applied pretty decently and it dried lightening fast.

Color Club Magic Attraction

Magic Attraction.  The glitter polish that ignigted my loved for all  glitter polish (all except for Lippmann Funky Chunky).  It's a gorgeous holo glitter in a clear base.  The holo glitters look like twinkling lights.

Magic Attraction was pretty thick and needed two coats of seche vite to smooth out the surface.

China Glaze L8r G8r

One of my favorite China Glaze collections was the OMG collection.  All holos in different colors?  Sign me up.  The only problem I have with these is that they're relatively dull looking in the shade.

Light

Shade

Essie Baby's Breath

I wasn't going to share this manicure, but my friend Dana has informed me that I'm not updating enough. :insert eye roll here:  So today I have on Essie's Baby's Breath.  Now I know this is meant to be sheer, but I hate visible nail line and I couldn't help but try my best to make it opaque.  I managed . . . after 5 coats.

China Glaze Solar Power

I love wearing yellows.  They tend to work well with my skin tone.  So why is it that every yellow I have is such a pain in the butt to apply?  I don't own a single yellow that's easy to apply.  China Glaze Solar Power is no exception.  Color-wise I think it's one of the more unique yellows I have.  It's a pretty golden yellow with yellow/gold shimmer in it that's subtle, but gives the color depth.

Maybelline Summer Splash

This is one gorgeous blue.  It's uber saturated and has the potential of being opaque in one coat if you're careful.  Application was nice.  The only thing I have to complain about is the wear.  I got a small chip and some tip wear within 3-4 hours.

OPI Fiercely Fiona

OPI Fiercely Fiona.  I still can't decide if this is yellow or green.  Every time I look, it's a different color.  Well, despite the fact that I'm not quite sure what color it is, I love it.  The color is gorgeous and it applied decently for a yellow-y polish.  Plus it's apart of a collection dedicated to Shrek.

Nina Pro Purple-Xing

I love my cream polishes, but I am also a self proclaimed glittah ho.  It can be such a pain to get glitter polish off, but that never phases me because glitter polishes are just that awesome.  Purple-Xing is no exception.  It is purple/holo glittery goodness.  Observe:

BB Couture Poison Ivy

This is one of my favorite polishes!  I'm a sucker for primary green creams.  Actually, I'm a sucker for greens period.  BB Couture definitely did this one right.  It was opaque in one coat and smooth in two.  I definitely need a back up of this sometime soon.

(Excuse the lent.  I didn't realize it was there until looking back at the pictures)

Essie Knockout Pout

This color is from Essie's Summer Collection 2010.  It's a gorgeous pink that is almost neon but doesn't quite make it.  It's definitely bright though!

Application wasn't my favorite.  It was a little hard to work with.  It has one of those "thick but runny at the same time" formulas.  It dries with a satiny finish, so if you like your polish shiny it's best to add a top coat.

Milani Molten Rock

I saw some swatches posted of these new Milanis online and I had to check and see if my CVS had them.  They did!

This polish is a gorgeous metallic blue with micro shimmer.