november went by way too fast. here we are, embarking on the holiday season with vigor and gusto. my november begun with a bad break. ups and downs and not as much nail polish as i would have liked. however, some of my favorites of the season are right here. "a touch of vamp" opi from the 2015 opi halloween collection, this orangey-red creme was easy to apply and equally easy to chip. shame, i love a vampy creme. "party bruise" floss gloss this deep brown is actually a dark dusty red in sunlight. this dark and rich beauty is wonderful on a shorter nail. after my break, i immediately reached for this mysterious looker. isn't she lovely? she's from new york city. "rich and brazilian" opi from my recent review of the opi "breakfast at tiffany's" 2016 holiday collection, this purple and gold shimmery gloss is really something. a more eggplant version of "first class desires," i like the gold and purple combo. "ds classic" opi "ds" stands for "designer series." this holo nude is a fantastic twist on a nude neutral. featured in my recent holiday favorites blog, this polish is easy to apply and has all the sparkle of a glitter polish, with none of the removal hassle. "pastel mauve" blackheart beauty at hot topic of course, this matte polish is sweet, but the color was not as flattering as I had hoped. so good, but not great. "mid gray" blackheart beauty i wore this on my right hand, in the same mani as "pastel mauve." i love a right hand, left hand mani. i had the same demi-meh reaction here. "near dark" china glaze murky and bleak, you'd think i'd love this. nah. the formula this too jelly and too streaky for it to seduce me. i explain more about it my "had to have it" blog. "stone cold" marc jacobs i just got my first marc jacobs' polishes. this has a nice almost mirror effect, but it chipped quickly. so one night only, just like opi's "push and shove." "starry night" sinfulcolors subtle glitter polish? don't mind if i do. jelly black opaque in two coats. look at the hex and confetti glitter in the bottle. love this. "sophisticated" revlon lovely grey creme, very similar to my fav "leather skinnies" by revlon. the very subtle micro shimmer does not show up on the nail, but that's okay. classy and nice. "calabaza" h&m
this was my favorite of the month! yellow polishes are notorious for being sticky and streaky and crap. not this yellow ... or the other yellows from h&m. calabaza leans orange and little dusty. so interesting. such a great formula. hope that your november was healthy and full of rich reproductive rights. happy december, bitches. thanks for reading.
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on thanksgiving weekend, business got real. a rude but necessary wake up call: the holidays are here. if you're like me, you need to access your polish game. here are my picks, at a variety of price-points, for all things merry and bright. holiday reds reds are a no-brainer this time of year. the cremes below are perfect for everyday, cocktail hours, holiday parties and more. need sparkle with your scarlet? visit my fall picks for shimmers and ruby glitter options. "saucy jack" butterlondon (left): a jelly dusty berry-ish red worthy of the jack-the-ripper aka. i don't mind a little vnl when the red is this creamy and nice. read more at my butterlondon haul from last month. "color so hot it berns" opi (upper right): from the "swiss collection" fall 2010, this swatch is a marvelous single-coat. nothing like a classic bright red to warm up winter nights. "mirror mirror" sinfulshine (lower right) this jelly berry is deep and rich. this narrowly missed my top 10 sinfulcolors list. perfect for holiday romances, this formula is easy in two coats. shiny even without top coat. navy blues love a deep blue nail this time of year. navys are classy and a favorite for holiday/winter wear. this year, i found some great options from vibrant to bright. "style cartel" esssie (upper): hands down my favorite essie polish, this blue is the warmest color. this creme is luscious in two coats. "in the name of justice" orly color blast (lower left): from the summer 2016 "wonder woman" collection, this royal blue jelly has a generous amount of blue and turquoise shimmer. released as a summer polish, this vibrant polish is actually a winter must. "frostbite" china glaze (lower right): from the 2007 ski collection, this famous dusty royal with blue on blue micro glitter, has a special demi-metallic appearance. unique and perfect for a frozen good time. holiday greens classic and rich, christmas tree green is surprisingly complimentary on many skin-tones. these deep greens are both festive and fashionable. "holly-day" china glaze (upper): from the 2011 "let is snow" collection, this perfect holly bush green is opaque in two coats and my new favorite holiday green. so rich, so right. "british racing green" butterlondon (lower left): this was recently discontinued, but the occasional brg can be found at t.j. maxx. if you find it, know that the subtle shimmer gives a multi-dimensional depth. flattering, this is my favorite butterlondon polish. "hunter" zoya (lower right): this slightly dusty hunter creme is delicious. a great formula you will love all season long! holiday nudes/neutrals with all of the bright and dark polishes popular this time of year, many wish for a palette cleanser in the form a creamy neutral. here are nudes in a variety of finishes, to add a bit of reserved sparkle appropriate for any holiday occasion. "silken quartz" orly (left): from the 2017 fall "velvet dream" collection, this pearly polish is unexpectedly fresh. a great twist on a typical pinky nude. "prosecco" sinfulshine (upper right): this nude with gold shimmer is amazing in two coats. such a great neutral with a sparkly twist. "ds classic" opi (lower left): holographic glitter makes this "designer series" opi polish an amazing find. easy to apply and practically opaque in one coat, great for a conservative office soiree or holiday date. purples who doesn't love a creamy deep purple this time of year? a holiday staple often overlooked, saturated rich violets and purples elegant and fun. "first class desires" opi (left): from the 2014 gwen stefani holiday collection, this eggplant has a record amount of gold shimmer. opaque in two coats, this golden purple is truly first class. "nouveau purple" sinfulshine (upper right): this dusty dark purple creme is opaque in one coat and stylish. i have many deep purple cremes in my collection, but this polish is unique. "harmoniousness mess" orly (lower right): this lavender creme is a favorite. it's nice to include lighter shades this time of year. this dusty pale lavender is perfect fall through spring. browns and rusts browns are fashionable nail attire any time, but winter brings rich creamy options. "partner in crime" essie (upper left): this dark milk chocolate creme is opaque in one coat and elegant in all lights. "penny leather" orly (lower left): this chestnut dark carmel creme is one of my favorites from the 2017 holiday collection. "rose" fresh paint (right): this discount brand has some terrific formulas. this rose gold metallic with gold shimmer is opaque in one coat and easy to apply. dark sparkles
cremes are my first loves, so my glitter collection is thin. i do love a subtle sparkle for holiday-times. darker polishes are unique, vogue and are perfect for winter nightlife. "gobsmacked" butterlondon (upper left): a charcoal glitter in a gray jelly base, can be a topper or opaque with light sponging. let the night shine. "five-and-ten" opi (lower left): from the 2016 opi holiday collection, this dark foil with silver sparkle is penetratingly vibrant. antique-y yet fashion-forward. "starry night" sinfulcolors (right): i'm kicking myself for forgetting about this subtle yet complex glitter polish. a multi color micro glitter, with duo-chrome larger confetti and hex glitter in a black jelly base, it's opaque in two coats. shiny and the right amount of festive. happy polishing, bitches. thanks for reading. happy thanksgiving. here is a "treat yo'self" style collective haul from the past few weeks. i am technically on a "no buy." even so, i *needed* these polishes. lets see what the girl had to have. "calabaza" h&m nail polish this orangy-mustard creme is both gorgeous and easy to apply. a little jelly on the first coat, there was not a streak in sight. two coats made it opaque. even yellows at h&m are amazing. i need more. this was from my "i'm at h&m already, buying a sale dress, i should really pick up another nail polish" haul. "near dark" china glaze from the 2011 halloween collection, this murky green crelly was a little tough to get even on the nail. i have many deep greens and my collection, and one that appears this dark (mistaken for black in most light) with a much better formula. i may chuck this into the de-stash bin. this was from my "i cannot find 'zombie zest' or 'its alive' by china glaze, so i am settling for 'near dark'" haul. "sophisticated" revlon previous to this haul, I only had one revlon polish in my collection. see my one-and-lonely post. this pale grey creme was on sale at walgreens (along with "urban" below). i could not resist a grey that looks like a creme version of my textured favorite "leather skinnies." in the bottle, you can see teeny micro gold shimmer, but it does not show up on the nail. nonetheless, the formulas was incredible and the look fantastic. i'm in love. from the "i deserve a treat, i just a flu shot" haul. "urban" revlon i've had my eye on this polish for years. the sale put me over; i had to have it. an interesting creme, i cannot detect whether it is purple or blue. blurple, mayhaps? regardless, beautiful. opaque in two coats, terrific formula. "madam" marc jacobs this nude creme is almost my mannequin hands. it leans a little yellow, but i dig it. the bottle has slight yellow staining on the front, which is probably why i found it at t.j. maxx. great formula and a nude that i can love. if you are seeking a skin tone match for you, at my local maxx there were several mj nudes in an array of shades. if you live in the u.s., check out a store near you. "stone cold" marc jacobs
this chromy metallic called to me. it is almost as close to mirror-like as opi's "push and shove," and does not require a special base coat. like "push and shove" this does chip very quickly. this was from my "shopping for holiday gifts, but marc jacobs needs to come home with me" haul. happy turkey day, bitches. thanks for reading. happy almost black friday, all. i've been searching for manicure or polish sets with which to lavish my friends and family. however, i've not loved the prepackaged gift sets found. i decided to create my own sets with my favorite nail and manicure items. below are the gifts and packaging i've gathered to create these custom presents. i went to various retail and online shops: t.j. maxx, target, h&m, trader joes, etc. dollar tree had holiday gift boxes in various sizes and many colors of packing paper. so cute. above is marc jacobs lacquer (t.j. maxx @ $4.99); trader joes head-to-toe moisturizing balm (trader joes @ $3.99); h&m glass nail file (h&m @ $4.99); gift box and packing paper (dollar tree @ $1 each.) grand total is $16 (not including tax and shipping fees). here is a slightly larger box with a cashmere opi mini mani set (t.j. maxx @ $5.99); opi drip dry drops (ebay @ $6.49); burts bees lemon butter cuticle cream (target @ $5.79); bath bomb (here, a local purchase ... but you could use mr. bubble bubbletini bath bombs @ 20 for $10.00 at ulta); h&m glass nail file (h&h @$4.99); gift box and packing paper (dollar tree @ $1 each). grand total roughly $27 (not including tax or shipping). i broke into an opi mini mani set to create tree ornaments with little polishes. i went to dollar tree for the tiny organza bags and ribbon. bells and holly would be a great addition. happy holidaying, bitches. thanks for reading.
happy throw back thursday. #tbt here is the "breakfast at tiffany's" 2016 holiday collection from opi. last year, i loved the swatches i saw online, but i only recently picked up this collection in mini-form. my mini bottles came in the "breakfast at tiffany's mini mani month" box, which also includes classic opi shades and 2016 favorites. click here for more info on opi. this package did not include the supplimental exclusive infinite shine shades of the "...tiffany's" collection. thus, this review is missing infinite shine's "party at holly's," "i'll have a manhattan," "ring the butler again," "can't tame a wild thing," and "girls love pearls." i happen to own the i.s. version of "i believe in manicures." here are my swatches of the core collection, all without topcoat. "breakfast at tiffanys" photoed is two coats. looks like i could've used a third. i liked this more than expected. this white crelly has visible silver and gold shimmer. it also appears to dry demi-matte. it's pearly without being frosty. very holly golightly. "i believe in manicures" this robin's egg blue creme is meant to reflect tiffany's signature blue packaging. opaque in two coats, but the formula is not terrific. i feel like "bright lucite" by sinfulcolors is a much better version of this creme. "champagne for breakfast" over "i believe in manicures" infinite shine i have the blue creme in infinite shine as well. actually, the basic polish had a slightly better formula. "champagne ..." is a textured glitter polish in a clear base, with a bit of holographic glitter. this swatch took two coats and some sponging ... so lots of work for not much coverage. love the texture, though. "black dress not optional" i really love this charcoal micro shimmer. lots of dimension and easy to apply. "meet my decorator" bright and shiny orange-leaning red creme, this polish was opaque in one coat. lovely. "apartment for two" another ocw, this pink creme is lush. i don't typically wear pinks, but this formula is wonderful. "five-and-ten" what a surprise. this sparkly foil metallic is one of my favs. this was three coats, but still very easy to apply. this has an antique-y quality that reminds me of the five and ten moment in the film. well done. "got the mean reds" opi does great reds, and this is no exception. ocw and so smooth. incredible. "sunrise ... bedtime!" this pale pink holographic glitter is in a clear base and surely meant to be a topper. i attempted to get it opaque on it's own. the above swatch is the result of two coats and lots of sponging. love the look. great nye option. "fire escape rendezvous" this matte metallic has micro-shimmer, shreds, and small glitter of various shapes. i could not get any of the textured bits on the nail. a dark piece stuck out here and there, which appear like bits of dirt in my polish. i will try again after a good bottle shake. "can't read without my lipstick" this dark wine crelly applied opaque in two coats. i like the squishy look. good formula. "rich and brazilian" this eggplant base is spiked with red and magenta shimmer with glass flecks. one of my favs, this looks great on a short nail. i am a big fan of the classic 1961 film (and the original novella), so i resisted this collection for many months for fear of being disappointed. the minis provided a convenient feet wetting. i will say this collection has many surprises. my favs are "five-and-ten" and "rich and brazilian." opi has many terrific red cremes. even so, "got the mean reds" is worth adding to my collection. it's pretty amazing.
i went to a primark in spain last year. i was excited to see a location in boston on a recent trip. primark is headquartered in dublin, ireland, and known there as "penneys." because j.c. penneys is trademarked everywhere, the penneys chain is called primark outside of ireland. the store i went to in Boston is the first location of primark opened in the u.s. primark specializes in "fast fashion," much like h&m and zara. the prices are so low, it felt icky. but sadly, i'm an american, and thus, a sucker for a bargain. "cabaret" jordana nail polish an extensive makeup and accessories section, i found jordana nail polish. i have seen jordana cosmetics at walgreens, but never the nail polish. this jelly/crelly deep wine was super sweet. opaque in two coats. this base coat and top coat are rad. i've been using them this past week. the garlic base coat is especially smooth. i like it. i only bought two more items: a yellow 3/4 sleeve top and a pink asymmetrical dress (the dress was $3). yes, i am wearing suspenders. s'overall, i like the fashions, but the polish was worth the trip. below is my cat, sebastian, patiently tolerating my kisses.
happy hauling, bitches. thanks for reading. destashing is all the rage, but i'm old school with a bin for the unexceptable. upon a bad swatch or wear, i chuck said polish. every 3-4 months, when the bin is full, i take it to work and let my co-workers pick through. while it is cleansing to purge, i think of it more as a constant curation of my careful collection. many polishes that i destash are quality, but are not a good fit for my skintone, or too much like another polish favorite. most of the polishes featured here are from late summer, early fall ... so many pastels, neons, etc. here are the recent cast offs. "friut machine" butter london this swatch looks okay, but i fought with this formula. this pink creme is not unique enough for me to deal with it again. i heart butter london so much, but this polish just wasn't me. a mini pack of the "la la land" collection orly spring 2017 blue="forget me not" lavender="as seen on tv" pink="cool in california" glitter topper="anything goes" there was a lot of hate for this collection upon release. i dipped my toe in just to be sure. the pastels are sheer, which is fine, but they are also quite streaky. this combo neccessitates many coats on the nail, or you're left with a hot mess: making the color opaque is the only remedy to streaks. a sheer but level pastel would be lovely. these were a mess. the glitter topper took a lot of fishing to get anything on the nail. if you read this blog, you know that i found orly's summer and fall collections incredible for 2017. this spring collection is clearly the jar-jar binks of an otherwise stellar year of polish. "lets meet" sinfulcolors this yellow was one of two "lets meet" polishes that i picked up this spring. one, a yellow creme (here) and the other, a dark yellow shimmer (featured in my september favorites blog). both polishes are also coded 928 ... so an early sc polish. normally, i would keep this yellow creme, but i already own so many. this formula is nothing special or even good, so i chucked it into the bin. "highlight of my summer" china glaze this is on many a youtubers "must-have" lists for neons or china glaze polishes. i don't know if it's just this bottle, but the formula is thick, streaky and goey. laucquer thinner didn't save it. "breezy blue" sally hansen xtreme wear i mentioned in my original sally hansen xtreme wear blog that i was destashing this polish. it was not near the same quality as the other sally originals. like orly's "la la land" polishes, it suffered as too sheer and too streaky. but i have heard reviewers recommend this polish, so buyer beware. "mellow yellow" sally hansen xtreme wear i was pretty anti-mellow yellow in my orginial sally hansen xtreme wear blog. i don't have the new version of this polish for comparison. please let me know what you think of this. for now, it is in my bin. "pink ribbon" butterlondon photo is okay, but this took too many coats to build up against the streaks. i own many similar cremes with better formulas. i recommend "biscuits" by floss gloss and "faux pearl" from orly's holiday 2017 collection. here a link to my butterlondon haul. "a touch of vamp" opi i liked this orange leaning red creme. easy to apply and i liked the look. but it chipped in less than 8 hours, and i just think that is way too soon. "road trippin'" orly
many reviewers have great things to say about this highlighter yellow neon. i found it gloopy, thick, streaky and awful. i gave this polish three different chances and gallons of lacquer thinner. perhaps i got a bad bottle. all i know is that it is no longer in my collection. happy de-stashing, bitches. Thanks for reading. opi was once a small dental supply company called "odontorium products inc." george schaeffer bought it in 1981 and, once joined by suzi weiss-fischmann (yes, the suzi), they created an acrylic system with a biochemist that schaeffer sold door-to-door to local nail salons. they expanded to nail lacquers in 1989 and abandon the dental stuff. thus, opi products, inc. was born. in 2010, they were acquired by coty, inc. that owns several cosmetics and fragrance companies, including max factor, rimmel london, and sally hansen. if you know opi, you know them as a salon brand that releases huge collections throughout the year. they notably partner with industry brands, celebrities and large films to release collaborative lines. some famous collabs: the movie legally blonde 2, the muppets, alice in wonderland, katy perry, mariah carey, gwen stefani, coca-cola, ford mustang, james bond, to name a few. today, opi polishes are 3-free but sadly, sell in china, and thus test on animals to do so. there is hope that the collected powerhouse of coty and other such companies will come together and put a stop to this senseless cruelty. it cannot come fast enough. here are some of my favorites. (i've got more than 10) "i'm not really a waitress" from the 1999 "hollywood" collection the best-selling opi polish ever, this shimmer looks demi-metallic and is super flattering. there is something hypnotic about this polish. i feel like a fancy bowling ball. "my private jet" from the 2007 "opi night brights" collection (not the original formula) the original formula of this polish is super famous. i found this bottle of the newer formula at a dollar tree this past spring. while i have apparently missed out on the hollo good time of the original, i very much enjoy this version of shimmer and micro-glitter. "funny bunny" from the 2007 "tarts and hearts: garden party" soft shades collection. this sheer white polish is one of opi's most famous. i purchased it ages ago, but never found an occasion to wear it until this summer. it's amazing, light and sweet. famous for a reason. "dutch tulips" from the spring 2012 "holland" collection opi has some great red cremes: "color so hot it berns," "coca-cola red," "vodka and cavier" ... the list goes on and on. they are all recommendable, but i am loving "dutch tulips;" it leans a bit fuchsia and is creamy goodness. "a-piers to be tan" from the fall 2013 san fransico colletion i love this carmel-colored creme. a flattering neutral, this polish is easy to apply and one of the most interesting colors i've seen from opi. "you're so vain-illa" from the 2014 coca-cola collection pale nudes from opi are typically nice: "my vampire is buff" and "be there in a prosecco" are also recommended, but my favorite is "... vain-illa." classy and classic. love it. "christmas gone plaid" 2014 holiday gwen stefani collection the day i began collecting, i wanted this shade for myself. i searched in several brick and mortar shops before i realized that this collection was no longer available after the holidays. i purchased on ebay and i love it more and more every year. wish i had this entire collection. "its a piazza cake" 2015 fall "venice' collection i have many favorites from the 2015 fall collection: that is when i got serious about nail polish. this burnt orange creme is typically shiny, but here i've featured it with a matte top coat. this polish is on everyone's radar this year. it's delicious for fall and winter. "i cannoli wear opi" a third from the 2015 fall "venice" collection recently featured in my october favorites, this creme is close to opi's renowned "my boyfriend scales walls." so flattering and a good formula. i crave it. "small + cute =(heart)" from the 2016 winter "hello kitty" collection one of the two pantone colors of 2016, this creme is sweet and pretty. the pink is sort of orange leaning, and is quite unique. "its in the cloud" 2016 soft shades pastel collection i adore how this white creme has a drop of grey to it. it is really modern and classy. my got-to white. 'rich girls and po'boys" from the 2016 spring/summer "new orleans" collection yes, this is a mini! i ordered a large collection of opi minis: holiday "breakfast at tiffany's" collection + lots of opi 2016 shades and core collection stuff. this has been one my favs. bright blue that glides on. perfect for spring, but wearable all year. "the i's have it" from the 2016 spring "alice through the looking glass" line
also a mini! this pale baby blue creme is my jam. i wore this over and over and over again this year. anytime i want to feel edgy but sweet. happy opi shopping, bitches! Thanks for reading, |
AuthorI try to paint my nails adequately. CategoriesArchives
November 2017
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