Beauty Obsessed

And a fantastic Monday to you all!  If you’re the type who hates Mondays (like my Mom), well…it’s almost over

Last week while I was working The Bay’s GWP, on my break I happened into Chatters salon and discovered that they had the new OPI Holland collection on sale – the very day it was slated to arrive (unfortunately, in Halifax that’s not necessarily a given).  I found this collection terribly hard to diagnose; the swatches online didn’t help me decide which shades I wanted to pick up, as they all appeared to me that they may be unflattering on my skintone.

One shade I was fairly certain I wanted was A Roll in the Hague, a vibrant orange shade that I knew would look great on.  I wasn’t wrong!However, I didn’t realize just how lovely this polish would be!  Sorry for all the shots, but I just couldn’t whittle them down!  The glossiness is unreal – in the shots above, I’m not wearing any top coat, if you can believe it.  I am honestly stunned by how shiny the finish is, it’s mesmerizing!  The formula of this polish is not completely ideal; I found it a bit thick, though it was mostly self-leveling so it ended up not being a huge problem.  Strangely, though it was thick, two coats didn’t leave it satisfactorily opaque enough for my liking – I could still see a touch of VNL so I did three coats to be sure.  Note as well that without a base coat, this shade will stain the nails a bit.  Regardless of these things though, I still really liked the polish and adored the shade.  I can’t wait to wear this when the weather warms up!

The second polish I picked up was the shade that I didn’t intend to buy at all – a medium purple creme with golden shimmer: Dutch’Ya Love OPI?  In swatches it looked too bright and garish for my tastes, particularly for my skintone, but when I took a closer look, it ended up being much prettier than I imagined.  And like absolutely nothing I own in my stash!The formula on this polish was very similar to ‘Hague’ but only required two coats rather than three.  The shade, as you can see, is quite a chamelon – it changes depending on the lighting, which actually is a favorable trait as in dull light, the shade looks deeper and more suited for Winter.  In sunlight, the radiance of the shade comes out in full force, and looks stunning and bright and perfect for warmer days.  Another plus is that the shimmer is not a ‘secret shimmer’ as many brands love to use, and in most lighting you can see it peeking out at the right angle, giving the polish warmth and depth.

I always find it challenging getting in the mind set for makeup or nail polish shades for a season we’re not presently in – I just can’t get ‘into’ colors that don’t feel appropriate for the current weather conditions.  It’s not about trends, its just that I like to match colors (including clothing) to the season – I guess it’s a way to make sure that all shades get their fair chance (with a little OCD thrown in for good measure ).  The purchase of these two shades was a bit difficult leading up to, but now that it’s done, I’m feelin’ pretty good about it!  And it’s getting me more in the mood to grab a few more Spring shades – maybe it’ll be like ‘The Secret’ and I’ll bring about the sun just by acting like it’s already here!  Doesn’t hurt, right??

What colors do you consider Spring shades?  Do you wear polishes according to the season, or just whatever floats your boat?