Beauty Obsessed

I either need a) a super excellent camera which can capture the right color and depth for polish swatches, or b) to live in a climate that has more sun.  As I don’t plan to move any time soon, I guess it’s gonna have to be pick a).   While our weather here in Halifax has actually been quite exceptional for the past 6 months, I still don’t ever seem to have a chance to take photos of my mani/pedi shades in the right lighting.  They’re never reflected properly!  Which is a shame because there are some GORGEOUS shades out there as of late!

In any case, I have a few swatches today – they’re *fairly* accurate (to my best ability) but please don’t throw me under the bus if you find they don’t look as true to color as they should!

First up, my current shade, Zoya Valerie, from the renamed Winter 2010 Flame collection (previously Fire & Ice):This isn’t in natural light but I do feel that this captures the color closest to reality.  It’s a stunning eggplant shimmer with magenta microglitter.  I’m sure that’s not what Zoya describes it as, but thats the way I see it   Its pretty opaque in one coat but I always use at least two for depth.  This is day four and very little tip wear to be seen.  It dries quite quickly too.  I have been digging a lot of unusual colors lately but this one is so beautiful!!  Probably in my top 3 faves.

Next, American Apparel’s Peacock:

Unfortunately my camera wouldn’t cooperate so this is a tad blurry, but of all the photos I took this one is the truest to color.  A medium-to-deep teal creme.  Similar to Paradoxal, I didn’t have much love for this when I first bought it back in the summer…but I tried it again two weeks ago and now that I’m paler I find it much more flattering.  I think this kind of color looks best of pale skin in general, but I’m satisfied with it overall now.  Definitely could be a one-coater but again, it’s here with two.  Wear was typical, maybe some tip wear after three days.  I actually like it more without a top coat – the extra glossiness looked cheap.

This is my first butter London polish!!  I picked it up during a tax free event at Spirit Spa, where I get lovely massages from Nathan.  (Quick rant: I work for the Federal Gov’t.  In my last job, we got $1500 a year total for massage therapy, chiropractor treatment, physiotherapy, etc., which was great for me b/c I only got massages – every 6 weeks   Now, in my new job with a different department, we’re only allotted $300 for massages total!!  Chiropractors etc. being covered separately.  I feel its a waste of time for anything less than 90 mins. so I get about two massages a year now.  So very, very depressing).

Anyway.  I really wanted to try the butter London Fall 2010 shades but alas, like many lesser known lines that arrive in our city, we did not get any of the trend shades, just the core colors.   Oh well.  I’m happy at least we carry it at all!  I had a hard time choosing as I am not quite a NP fanatic yet and haven’t gotten to the point where I am buying shades that are similar to ones I already own (though I fear it’s coming!), but finally settled on this fabulous, classic, neutral red, called ‘Come to Bed Red’.  Note that it’s a bit richer than it looks here.  It leans slightly more blue-toned, but overall it’s wonderful and suits my skintone quite well.  Maybe not HG but it’ll do till I find it!  It’s so glossy and creamy and pigmented.  Two coats easily did the trick.  I did add a top coat so it’s not quite as shiny alone.

So, those are the shades I’ve been rocking recently.  I did leave out OPI’s Bring on the Bling, as I only wore it for a few days and forgot to take a photo.  I’ll be wearing it again this month so I’ll be sure to capture it then!  Tomorrow’s mani will be from last year’s OPI Holiday collection, Holiday Glow.  I’ll post that as well!

Anyone try any of these shades, or have an absolute fave I should check out??