Archive for category Nail Polish
These Are A Few of My Favorite Things
Posted by Latoya in BITE Beauty, Boscia, Burberry, butter London, Chanel, Clinique, Just for Fun, Lancome, Make-up, Nail Polish, Other, Prada, Tarte on May 12, 2013
I’m just sitting here reading my online copy of this month’s Allure via Zinio (thanks Amy!!!!) and there’s a feature on a pair of GAP shorts and how 5 women wear them. Each have a small side bar which notes what lipstick, jewelry, shoes, etc. they would pick as their “favorite things“, which I always find interesting to read. Every time I come across these types of stories, I note how it pulls you in and makes you want to ‘have what they’re having’ so to speak – the psychology of it is kind of amazing, and I always think that if I were being interviewed, even plain old non-celebrity me and my choices would sound kind of intriguing. Takes me back to my Honours Psych thesis days 
So, I decided to interview myself, share my favorite things, and see if everyone runs off to buy them.
HA.
In seriousness though, we fickle beauty-fiends find ‘favorites’ every month, but it’s the shades and items we wear over and over, standing the test of time, that are a better indicator of a great product, and also hint at our beauty and style personalities!
Favorite Lip Color:
This may not be a fully-formed favorite just yet, but since it’s purchase last month its been in heavy rotation over all other lippies, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. You probably guessed it – it’s BITE Beauty’s High Pigment Pencil in Quince. DAMN, this pencil is fine! Fuchsia is definitely my new jam. Long-wearing, non-drying, bold color that works for all seasons. SOLD.
Favorite Mascara:
It may not come as a surprise that my favorite mascara brand is Clinique’s – yes, I work for the brand, but I love the mascaras because of all the different options we have (natural, fluttery, mega-volume, etc.) as well as the fact that they don’t dry up in a month, and for the most part are terribly easy to remove but don’t smudge throughout the day. I’ve always been a huge fan of the High Impact mascara, but more recently I’ve become majorly enamoured with our new High Impact Waterproof mascara, which gives some major oomph to the lashes without being crispy or unnatural-looking like some other waterproof versions I’ve tried. You can be sure I’ll be using this at the wedding next weekend!! Also notable is the Lash Power mascara, which is like a waterproof in that it won’t smudge or budge through heat, sweat, swimming, etc., but removes with warm water. It doesn’t give the same POW! as the waterproof, but it gets to each individual lash due to the teeny tiny brush, and is great for separation.
Favorite Nail Polish:
Ugh, how do I pick just one!? C’est impossible. But I *think* I can pick two. And they would be butter London Snog and Chanel Orange Fizz. I know both are summery tones which could be swaying my opinion this time of year, but I don’t think so. I seriously could wear Snog every day – put me on a desert island with this shade and I’d be happy as a clam (though… the clams on the island probably wouldn’t be that happy as I’d be eating them for survival).
Favorite Skincare:
It’s safe to say that I’m still madly in love with Tarte’s Pure Maracuja Oil – nothing has made more of a difference in my skin than this product! Stupidly, I bought a bottle of Bosica’s Tsubaki Facial Oil during the Sephora sale last month to try something new – I hope it can live up to Tarte’s! My bottle is almost finished so I’ll be trying the Boscia soon, and I’ll be sure to fill you all in on it’s efficacy.
Favorite Fragrance:
I tend to be a scent jumper (are you seeing a trend here? Hello, fickle!) so I’ve never repurchased a bottle, but there was one fragrance that really stood out to me in the past that I actually finished and of which I get tempted to re-buy – namely, Burberry The Beat. It’s categorized as a woody floral which doesn’t sound like my taste, but damn it if I didn’t love that scent – it was so fresh and alluring at the same time. I went through that bottle within a year, which is unheard of for me. It has middle notes of Iris, which seems to be a recurring theme in a lot of fragrances I’ve sampled and enjoyed (Prada Infusion d’Iris; Lancome La Vie Est Belle), as well as top notes of Mandarin and base notes of Cedarwood, both of which are also found in Prada’s scent. I’ve considered buying Infusion d’Iris many times but never could commit, surprise surprise. 
Favorite Shoes:
Ok, shoes are kind of the bane of my existence, as I have a bunion on my right foot that makes buying them incredibly tricky, so I make sure to always buy quality. In the past few months I’ve had tremendous success in two pairs – black platform pumps from Rockport, and a pair of nude almond-toe pumps from Banana Republic. SO. EFFING. COMFORTABLE. YOU GUYS. It’s crazy. The BR ones are no longer available, but the Rockport ones are still around (though not in the lizard skin finish anymore) so I’d grab ‘em fast if you’re interested! Now all I need is a fun pair in a color and I’m set 
Favorite Jewelry:
So apparently this has been a list of my two favorite things in each category lol – and I’m going to get even crazier here and show you 5 of my fave jewelry pieces, because they are equally loved by me on the regular.
LOVE my Michael Kors rose-gold watch, obviously (which I bought due to this Lent challenge), and I picked up a pair of Stella & Dot rose gold earrings to complement the watch last year and love ‘em too.
I wear the gold large-link bracelet from Banana Republic quite a bit, and it’s actually shifted me into wearing gold a lot more now. This gold ring from Aldo gets a lot of love – its tough to wear rings a lot when you always wear crazy-colored polishes, but this manages to hold it’s own. Lastly, this awesome funky giraffe bracelet my Mom bought me from Aldo ages and ages and ages ago is one of the few real statement pieces in my collection, and though initially I thought it was bizarre, I quickly became to love it.
Just for the heck of it (because I’m clearly out of control now), here’s two more well-loved pieces: my Tiffany key I got a few Christmases ago – I totally cried when I opened it, best gift ever! – and an eclectic owl necklace that I sort of inherited from my great-grandmother. Can you imagine her wearing something like this? And it just goes to show you how everything comes around and is new again eventually
And there you have it – all my fave things, are you feeling like you want to go buy it all now since I’m clearly SOOOO fabulous!? *crickets* …Yea, I didn’t think so, lol. But, since I didn’t do a favorites post for the end of 2012, I figure this is still original content on the blog, and a good way to get to know a bit more about me – which is sort of the real point of blogs, right? Hope you enjoyed!
What are some of your favorite things?
No Introduction (Or Words) Needed: Chanel Le Vernis in 657 Azure
Honestly, what else can I say about Chanel’s Azure that others haven’t already?
A gorgeous metallic teal-blue that flashes a deeper cerulean in some lights and even has a touch of violet around it’s edges, Azure is a surprise hit for this gal who isn’t normally into metallic finishes in polish! It’s *sort of* like the aqua version of Peridot, without the same duochrome intensity (which would have probably blown my head off in awe if it WERE that shapeshifting).
It’s quite difficult to capture the color shift as others have noted, but just trust us – it’s there. It’s not super-strong, but it’s just enough to give the polish some serious interest. Something about this shade feels so elegant and refined even though it’s not your typical ‘classic’ color, and that’s the quality that really makes it a hit for me.
I was really feeling some trepidation about this polish but I took the plunge and I’m so glad I did. This is gonna get some serious love from me all summer long and likely into the fall as well. I didn’t really find I had trouble with brush strokes as others had, but I did find that you needed to apply it relatively quickly with minimal strokes or it could pull a bit and get patchy (though it self-leveled quite well). Final word: AWESOME.
Does Azure float your boat? Do you like metallic finishes on polishes?
Polish Comparison Swatches – The Best Kind of Post When You’re Sick
Posted by Latoya in American Apparel, butter London, Chanel, China Glaze, Comparisons, Coral, Deborah Lippmann, Nail Polish, Red on April 9, 2013
So yea. I sneezed funny on Sunday and then the next day I was sick with a cold. Has that ever happened to anyone else? I’m being dead serious – it’s like the sneeze dislodged the sickness or something. Ugh. Anyway, I was off work today and pretty much was a slug all day; even looking at the computer screen hurts my eyes. I am weird and don’t take medication when I’m sick (unless it’s that time of the month – then, JACK ME UP BABY) because I feel like it just masks the pain and makes me stay sick for longer. Or I’m a martyr. Either or. At least I know when I get pregnant one day I’ll be totally used to not being able to take meds (but I will not hesitate to get an epidural – eff that). So there’s that.
Anyway, I have photos of two polishes I had done comparison swatches for but never posted them, so here they are. First up is Chanel’s Orange Fizz (which I happen to be wearing this week, and seriously – I LOVE IT SO MUCH you guys should all buy a bottle, it’s good times) which I swatched against all my other orangey-coral polishes (spoiler – there are no dupes that I own, so you should just go buy a bottle of the real stuff):
Left to right: China Glaze Flirty Tankini, LA Colors Magnetic Force, Chanel Orange Fizz, China Glaze Surfin’ for Boys, Deborah Lippmann Daytripper
Thumb: China Glaze Flirty Tankini; Index: Chanel Orange Fizz; Middle: LA Colors Magnetic Force; Ring: China Glaze Surfin’ for Boys; Pinky: Deborah Lippmann Daytripper
You can see that aside from the LA Colors shade, the rest of the polishes are all in the same vein, but Flirty Tankini is less saturated and dries with a flat finish (though probably the closest match); Surfin’ for Boys is more pink and with a pearlesence about it; and Daytripper is more pink. What I love about Orange Fizz is that it’s super-shiny on it’s own, has a squishy quality to it, and is somehow both soft enough for spring but bright enough that it will be awesome in summer too
The next polish I have to show you is one I recently picked up from American Apparel, called Downtown LA. I was in the store a couple weeks ago buying Neon Violet for a gal at work, since she loved it so much on me, and decided to take advantage of the buy 3 for $18 deal (I also picked up their matte top coat for fun). Downtown LA is a bold red that leans ever so slightly orange. It is exceptionally close to butter London’s Come to Bed Red, though bL’s version really is more of a true red without the orange lean. I can tell the difference between the two but if I didn’t tell you, I’m sure you wouldn’t guess:
butter London Come to Bed Red; American Apparel Downtown LA
Index & ring: butter London Come to Bed Red; middle & pinky: American Apparel Downtown LA
I have a hard time wearing red polish as I find on my skintone it looks a bit garish; however, I wore Downtown LA last week and actually liked it quite a bit. The warmer tone of the polish worked better on me than Come to Bed Red has in the past, and I made sure to cut my nails super-short which made the manicure less in-your-face. I won’t be stocking up on red polishes any time soon but it’s still nice to have a few great ones in your arsenal! I’ll likely pass along my butter London shade – I always hate to part with more high-end brands but I know I’ll never choose it over the AA color. I have to say, I really like AA polishes – they are almost one-coaters and apply so well!
So, I hope this keeps you entertained until I get better! I usually go into repair mode when I’m sick and rarely stay down for long, so I’ll be up and kickin’ by the weekend I’m sure 
What do you do with your nail polish dupes? Do you find red a difficult color to wear?
Switching Gears
Posted by Latoya in Clinique, MAC, Musings, Nail Polish on April 2, 2013
I’m on day 5 of being off on a little mini-vacay from work (though, I’m back tomorrow – boo!), and as you may have noticed, with all that downtime I didn’t fill it with awesome, stupendous blog posts. I know we are all allowed a break when we need it, but I’ve been feeling slightly guilty about not writing more – March overall was admittedly pretty quiet for me. I’d like to blame that on my significantly decreased spending on cosmetics, but that’s a cop-out – there are plenty of other creative ways I could talk about makeup and beauty (see particularly adept bloggers here, here and here). More than anything, it’s been the brain shift that’s prevented me from posting more often; this blog has been predominantly to showcase new products I’ve purchased, and while I’ve had a few other bits and bobs here and there like themed posts, or skincare chats, my creative juices haven’t been flowing as often as they should. Coming up with new ways to portray my enthusiasm for makeup (because – regardless if I’m posting about it or not, I’m ALWAYS excited by it!) has been more of a challenge than I anticipated.
I went to a Clinique school in the middle of March, and we’ve got NAIL POLISH (again…we used to have it but it got discontinued back in 2005) and it’s pretty awesome. This is a face chart I did that we needed to find a complimentary polish to go with it (check out Party Red, bottom) – I think it turned out lovely!
Here is the good news, though, about my ‘break’ over this long weekend. I had several days to just relax, and process, and mentally and physically clear out old crap taking up space (I went through all of my financial documents, three accordion file folders full, and turfed stuff that was dated as far back as 2003! WOOOOOO!!!). And as tends to happen, my brain started revving up again, and I came up with a few ideas for upcoming posts that I hope you’ll like. Nothing too groundbreaking, but topics that are relevant and encourage discussion about our favorite topic: beauty *Though I must confess – lately I’ve been really into fashion as well, and any extra cash has gone toward beefing up my paltry wardrobe. And a new blog I stumbled upon, Meek n Mild, is seriously sparking my sartorial desires – her style is pretty much where I want to be!
I bought these high-waisted skinny jeans by Cheap Monday that are effing fabulous!! I though for sure high-waist + my body shape would be awful, but actually they look better on me than I think they do on this model =)
I hope that I don’t disappoint readers out there who are looking for a constant stream of product reviews – I’m sorry, my budget just doesn’t accommodate for that right now! And additionally, as tends to happen, I’m through the stage of wanting to buy everything because of my restrictive situation, and now into the phase of pulling back and enjoying what I own rather than continuously adding to the mass. I’m having fun playing and discovering new techniques; learning more about my skintone and type and what works best; and using what I already own in new and innovative ways. I hope to share all of these things with you, because while accruing new pretties is totally fun and addictive, the point is to USE all of this stuff, is it not?? And as I keep telling myself, this situation is temporary and it won’t always be this way for me (in fact, I might be getting a roommate for May and June! Yay for splitting costs 
), so stick around (particularly in April, as I have been saving to splurge during Sephora’s annual VIB sale – woohoo!)!
And…I did buy this in March (which is all Denise’s fault), so there is that review to look forward to!
End of PSA and the use of too many parentheses.
Thanks for your understanding!!
Happy Easter Everyone!! (with a Celebatory Mani!)
Posted by Latoya in butter London, Essie, Holiday, MAC, Nail Art, Nail Polish, Revlon, Sally Hansen, Zoya on March 29, 2013
Wishing you all a lovely long weekend and some good time spent with friends and family! I just cooked a full-on brunch for a handful of my friends at my place (with ingredients contributed by my guests!) and it was the perfect way to kick off the weekend. I’m not back to work until Wednesday and I am SO looking forward to maxin’ and relaxin’!
If the weather is like this all weekend, I will be one happy gal! See how little snow is left?!
Last night I multi-tasked (surprize) by painting an Easter egg mani – last year I did all different pastel shades, so I had to think of something new this time around. I think they came out pretty well for freehand – I probably should invest in some doting tools etc. to actually make nail art look really good, but I do it so infrequently I probably won’t bother lol. Hope you enjoy!
All shades used: butter London Jasper, MAC Mischievous Mint, Sally Hansen Barracuda, Zoya Marley, Essie Muchi Muchi, Revlon Whimsical
Whether or not you celebrate the religious holiday or just use the days off as like mini-vacay, I hope you take the time to relax and enjoy it – and I hope you have some spring-like weather!! This is what I’m being treated to today (and it’s actually *warm-ish* – a balmy 7 degrees, woohoo!). Have faith – summer is right around the corner
Oh – I forgot to mention: since Google Reader is eventually going kaput, I’m now linked in to Bloglovin’ (check out my sidebar) – feel free to follow me there ’till your heart’s content
xo!
Fun with Fuchsia: American Apparel Neon Violet Polish, NARS Desire Blush, and Illamasqua Divine Lipgloss
Posted by Latoya in American Apparel, Blush, Illamasqua, Lips, Make-up, Nail Polish, NARS, Pink, Purple on March 23, 2013
As some of you may know, I’ve been in a slight polish slump for the past while. Nothing has really got me excited much, though I have picked up a few shades here and there (as seen in my last post) that were great additions to my collection. Last week I was admittedly quite enamoured with China Glaze’s new Dandy Lyin’ Around, a sparkling white polish, but by the end of the week, as usual I was ready for a change. I was feeling kinda frisky (huh?) and pulled out American Apparel’s Neon Violet polish, a blue-leaning bold pink, which is part of their Neon collection that came out quite a while ago. I haven’t given this polish much love for whatever reason, though it often draws my eye as it stands out a lot amid the other shades in my stash. As soon as I put it on, my love was seriously revived – guys, this is a fantastic shade!! I’ve shown pics to you before (once as a pedicure and once on a friend’s hand) but I’m not sure I’ve given it enough due – you really gotta check it out. Aside from the glorious color, it’s a near one-coater with a great formula – it’s just FABULOUS.
Anyway, it got me thinking again about skintone and whether I am more cool or warm – this is most definitely a cool-leaning shade, and while I inherently think I’m warm-toned because of my caramel coloring, more and more I think I might actually just be neutral, leaning neither way, because I seem to be able to pull off shades all over the color spectrum (hooray for me!). I also am realizing that it has a lot more to do with just finding the right shade within each color range, rather than whether or not you can wear ‘warm’ or ‘cool’ tones. After all this thought and over the past few months with some of the beauty accruals I’ve made, I have found my jam in one area at least – fuchsia.
A few months ago, I was on this kick where I wanted to collect NARS blushes – I already owned four and I thought I’d just keep going with it. I’ve since kind of gotten over that, but not before I scored Desire in a swap. Initially I thought it was probably a stupid move – a cool ‘cotton candy pink’ on my skintone?? I just wasn’t convinced. And since I received the shade in the late summer, which did not seem like the season for this color, I left it alone for ages.
When winter rolled around, I figured it was time to give this ago and decide if I was going to keep it or not. As true for many NARS blushes, it has great pigmentation, and because it’s completely matte it’s exceptionally wearable (as a general rule, I find bright pink + shimmer = TOO DAMN MUCH). The first time I wore it, I happened to pair it with heavy black liner and naked lips, and BAM! Compliments galore!! It looked smokin’ (sadly, I do not have pics from that day). It was then that I started to think that fuchsia might be a color I want to start giving more of a chance.
One night a couple months ago when Illamasqua was having their last huge sale, I was perusing the site – and on top of discovering that my current blush lemming Crush was on sale, I also could score the Sheer Lipgloss in Divine (a ‘deep fuchsia pink’) for 1/3 of the regular price. When my package arrived, I was pleased to find that Divine was a wonderful addition to my gloss collection, as it was unlike anything I already own. Additionally, it’s smooth, non-sticky formula was a pleasure to use, and while it isn’t as pigmented as it looks in the tube, its a great shade to brighten up my face in a pinch.
Swatches: Illamasqua Divine (left), NARS Desire (right)
As I already noted, I had previously always thought I had a warm-leaning skintone, so when I saw evidence of how yet another cool-based color looked great, I was finally convinced – fuchsia rocks my world!!
Wearing Illamasqua Divine Lipgloss
Out of all this discovery, one thing became glaringly clear – I desperately need a bright fuchsia lipstick!! The lovely Sarah from Beauty and the Baked Goods send me Revlon’s Sweet Tart lip butter, which is a great pink, but it leans more candy-colored. I’ve been doing my research and I’m torn between Bite Beauty’s High Pigment Matte Pencil in Quince $28CAD (described as a rose berry – but looks pretty fuchsia to me), YSL’s Rouge Volupte Radiant Lipstick in Rose Culte $39CAD (a ‘vivid fuchsia’), or new NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Yu $30CAD (a ‘shocking pink’). I haven’t gotten to swatch the NARS pencil in person yet, so not sure if it’s the right tone, but the other two totally do it for me – it’s likely I’ll opt for the Bite pencil as it’s more reasonably priced and I have yet to try a lippie from the brand.
All said and done, I’m pretty stoked that I’ve stumbled upon a go-to shade that seems to work so well with my skintone. I’ve made several discoveries of this kind over the past couple months while funds have been so limited – I’ve been taking the time to play more and make more informed decisions about what I purchase when I have the means to do so, and it’s been a positive learning experience
What unlikely makeup / polish shades have you discovered to really work for you?
Celebrating the Arrival of Spring With New(ish) Nail Polish Pretties!
Posted by Latoya in Blue, butter London, Chanel, China Glaze, Coral, Green, Nail Polish, Sally Hansen, Spring 2013, White, Yellow on March 20, 2013
Though I’ve been in somewhat of a nail polish slump, similarly to filling in gaps in my makeup collection, I’ve been picking up polish shades here and there that fit in nicely with the array of colors I already have. For the most part, I’ve been beefing up my existing collection with shades that are generally thought of when we think ‘spring’ – pale, pastel-like shades that have a fresh, soft, feminine quality to them. I know that there’s no need to stick to ‘seasonal’ colors any more, but I personally like to change the tones I wear (for both makeup and nails) each season, and typical spring shades are no exception.
I actually don’t own a large array of pale nail polishes, as I normally gravitate toward broodier, richer tones, but this season I’ve accrued five new shades that I’m totally digging, which means I now have a good handful or two of polishes that are just perfect for the spring season. My two favorites from past years have been Zoya’s Marley and MAC’s Mischievous Mint, and now joining those two are: Sally Hansen Barracuda, a pale yet bright blue; China Glaze Dandy Lyin’ Around (new from this season’s Avant Garden collection), a shimmering white; butter London’s Bossy Boots, a pale pistachio green, and Jasper (new from the Sweetie Shop Spring 2013 collection), a pale lemon yellow; and Chanel Orange Fizz, a slightly muted coral orange.
Sally Hansen Barracuda is a Complete Salon formula, which is supposed to mean that its the full meal deal, with base & top coat qualities rolled into the one polish. I actually do find these polishes to wear better without base coat, and the swatches below with sans top coat – as you can see, this baby is SHINY. There really is no need for top coat unless you need a quick drying one to get it on and get out the door. I found it did require three coats to achieve full opacity and to look it’s best, so if you’re in a hurry you may need a fast-drying top coat anyway. However, I found that it dries relatively quickly on it’s own, so its not an absolutely necessary step. Also, I have to mention that I adore the brush on these polishes – it’s wide and thin and covers almost my whole nail bed in one go. Application is a breeze!
China Glaze Dandy Lyin’ Around was a recent lemming of mine, having only first seen it on All Lacquered Up (a blog, by the way, I’m pleased to see back in action!) this past week. A couple weeks ago, Taylor of My Lucite Dreams posted about a white polish, and it looked SO lovely on her but I knew the white polish trend was NOT going to be my friend. However, when I saw Dandy Lyin’, I had a feeling that it’s softer, sparkling quality might be a way for me to try the trend, and I was right!! I really like this polish a lot, even despite the fact that it’s sheerness and slightly streaky quality requires three coats – just be careful in your application. It’s worth the effort for me as I’m loving the look on my hands! I can’t wait to try it on summer toes Note that no top coat was used, and I don’t feel it needs one, unless you want to get that smooth, uber-glossy look.
butter London Bossy Boots has NOT been a recent lemming; in fact, I wanted this bad boy last year but held out until a couple months ago when I got it on discount. As a general rule, I do not like green nail polish – not on others (typically) and definitely not on me. However, light greens are totally exempt and I love the way they look. I’m not 100% sold on the yellowish undertones in Bossy Boots as being the best for me, but I still enjoy this shade and am glad I finally picked it up. The application was good with no real troubles – shown is with two coats – although it would benefit from a top coat to give it a bit more gloss and shine (no top coat used in photos).
butter London Jasper was another longer-term lemming of mine since the launch of the Sweetie Shop collection earlier this year. I could have easily bought every shade from the release, but held myself back to just this one. I don’t own a single yellow, and dislike most versions of the shade, but this pale shade hooked me from the get-go. I love it on and it just screams spring to me. I’ve read conflicting reviews on this color’s formula – I don’t have a lot of experience with pale yellows, but I think that this formula is pretty darn good. It does require a bit more attention to application, but as far as it goes this is a good formula with minimal issue, for me at least! I did go with three coats just to get the best opacity, but it wasn’t that much of a pain. Like Bossy Boots, it would benefit from a shiny top coat, which I did not use in these photos.
Chanel Orange Fizz was sort of a random buy, which happens very rarely these days. When I picked up a few things from Chanel earlier this year, I was disappointed with the spring shades released but wanted a new polish. This one grabbed my attention and I’m super-happy that I bought it, it’s a stunner! This shade is obviously more pigmented/intense than the other shades I’ve shown above, but it still has a soft quality to it that feels spring-like to me (though this will also be kick-ass in summer!) The formula is thicker (typical of many Chanel polishes, I’ve found), but flows well and is self-leveling – again, just take care in your application and you should have no problems. I love the glossiness of this polish on it’s own – no top coat needed! I used three coats in these swatches, and you can still see slight VNL, but in person it’s hardly noticeable, and you could probably opt for two coats – I’m just fussy
So there you have it! A handful of pretty polishes – a perfect way to shove usher in spring
So! What spring shades are you lemming/have you picked up? Do you go with softer shades or stick to whatever floats your boat at the time?
The Ever-Helpful Filler Post: A FOTD, Polish, and Nail Art!
Hiiii guys! I have been hiding out and trying to minimize the time in front of my computer zombifying…seriously, these damn electronics can suck you in and eat your brain big time. I’ve been drafting up posts here and there but not sitting down for too long because I just need a break. S’OK? And plus, I want to show you some fab looks with all of my new(ish) pretties! Here’s one look that I wore out this weekend:
Forgive me for less than stellar shots, as usual I was running late and took these in the bathroom of the party I was at while trying to remain inconspicuous lol. And I probably had a few rum & cokes by this point… I’m a lost cause ~sigh~ Anyway, I took this look directly from this tutorial of Lisa Eldridge’s – I ADORED how it came out, another one of those looks that made me feel badass and awesome all evening (and isn’t that the point?). I’ve been really getting into colored shadows again lately, so fun! FYI – I’m wearing MAC’s Blue Edge (discontinued) topped with Shimmermoss on my top lid and Beautiful Iris on my lower lash lines. Oh, and also, I used the Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil in my hair and HOLY SMOKES. I LOVE THIS STUFF – look at my hair! Just look at it!!!!!
I’ve also got a spring-themed post in the works that I’ve been thinking of for ages but haven’t had all the pieces to put it together. If I’m not too, um…under the weather after Paddy’s Day on Sunday, I plan to get it done that Monday as I’m off work. It involves some very pretty polishes that I’m totally diggin’ – unlike this polish, which sadly did NOT do it for me:
I know, an it’s an a-England polish too! Tess d’Urbervilles, a blackened green shimmer. It looks nice here but I couldn’t wait to take it off. I’m just not a fan of green hued polishes, unless they’re pale /pastel-toned or more of a teal green. Ah well, can’t win ‘em all!
I have been trying to do things that are good for my well-being as much as possible – this semi-computer break being one of them, as well as joining a yoga studio that had an awesome deal: $108 for three months of unlimited classes. Heck YES! I went today after work; the focus was shoulders and OMG I feel so effing great!! My back and neck are always sore from working at a computer (and being at one at home too) and this worked it out so well. I am feeling particularly SUPER WOMAN LIKE today because I also went for a run at lunch. So YAY for mental & physical health! I feel all zingy – kinda like this nail art I did a few weeks ago:
This could have been SO much better – the concept and colors I totally liked, but I used french manicure strips that kept pulling up the polish beneath it, no matter if I let it dry for 5 minutes for 15. SO irritating! Half of this ended up being freehand and the other is just a mess of me trying to fix the peeled polish areas. Urgh. For reference, the shades I used there Revlon’s Sterling, Essie No More Film, and Zoya’s Wednesday.
And there you have it! My very best attempt at giving you something to look at while simultaneously chattering away with abandon, and trying to link the two. Successful? Probably not, but I wasn’t sure when or how I’d post these photos, so it worked for me!
I hope everyone had a great Monday!!!
YOU GUYS I FOUND A GOLD NAIL POLISH I LIKE IT IS A HAPPY HAPPY DAY
Posted by Latoya in Gold, Metallic, Nail Polish, OPI on February 27, 2013
My apologies for my apparent screaming at you, no one likes all caps coming at them, but YOU GUYS. Do you even have any idea how long I’ve been looking for MY gold nail polish? Not just one that I like, because there are a handful of gorgeous gold polishes out there, but one that looks DAMN GOOD on my skintone. Do you remember this? Blah. And this? Aggressive! And how about my Chanel debacle (who would have ever though a Chanel polish would let me down)?
Well, NO MORE. YES, I am making a grand sweeping statement and STILL USING CAPS to exclaim that I have found it. The One. MY PRECIOUS.
OPI’s Dazzled by Gold. There are no words (or there are lots, but I am going to stop yelling now).
And let me just say – I totally knew that if I ever got my hands on this (it was an Ulta exclusive from Holiday 2009), it would end my search for the ultimate gold polish (see, no yelling I could just *tell* that this glorious glittering shade would just right. It doesn’t lean too warm (for a gold) nor too cool; it’s not bronze rather than gold; it’s not too yellow, too pale, too dark, too orange….it is PERFECT (sorry…but it is!).
You want to see some swatches now, right? Or…maybe you don’t, since it’s not available anymore, and it’s pretty hard to come by. I stalked it on Makeup Alley for months, possibly years, and there were only about three people offering it up – and they were not letting it go easy. Then, of course, as things go – once I stopped looking, there it was.
I had messaged a gal on the site to ask for her Ambering Rose blush by MAC (I’m on a big MAC kick as well as a swap kick, but more on that another time *soon*). She was interested in my NARS Habanera Duo (which I’ve been struggling with to make work for years), which was great except it was a bit uneven. When I browsed through the rest of her list, BAM!! Dazzled by Gold. Really!?!? I couldn’t believe my luck.
The deal was made, and earlier this week my package came. I eagerly ripped off the bubble wrap and immediately tried it on. And well – you’re seeing the results! Is it not absolutely amazing!?!?!?!?!?!?!
The polish, as you can see, has little flecks of silver in there too, which is probably why it looks flattering on me – I wear silver jewelry much better than gold. It reminds me a bit of Warm & Fozzie from OPI’s Muppets collection, but again – that one was too bronze and not what I was looking for. The formula of Dazzled by Gold is a bit thin, so this is four coats – but who the heck cares with this fabulosity!?! And this is without top coat, so it’s really that shiny all on it’s own. Dazzled, indeed.
I’m sorry to post about an LE item, but I just had to share this with you guys!! And I’m willing to bet you’ve all found ‘your’ gold shade anyway, no one else seems to have trouble with gold polish like I do. So now I can join you and be happy If you DO love it, well – I highly recommend trying to find it, if you can – keep your eyes open! You just never know when it may fall into your lap
Anyone else have any beauty success stories like this one to share?? Do tell! And – what’s your favorite gold polish?
The Perfect Every-Season Shade – butter London’s Royal Navy
Posted by Latoya in Blue, butter London, Nail Polish on January 28, 2013
I’m feeling very antsy and at odds today and I’m not entirely sure why. I think partly it’s because I work tomorrow and Thursday night at Clinique so those two evenings are shot, and I have a late doctor’s appointment Wednesday which means I won’t get home till super-late as well. So essentially my week is over, good night 
Anyway! The best kind of posts for when you can’t sit still is a nail polish post – you can make ‘em quick and dirty (unless you tend to be chatty like I am). Today I have for you a GORGEOUS polish which I sadly couldn’t capture in it’s full glory (but trust me – its effing AMAZING): butter London’s Royal Navy.
With flash, you can see how seriously blue this polish can be – however, when worn, it’s rather dark and the blue tones are quite elusive. It looks more like the shot below, like the Atlantic Ocean – super dark blue-black with just a hint of it’s true colors around the edges:
For those of you who don’t live near the Atlantic Ocean, it seriously looks just like this – the Pacific Ocean, alternatively, is like this crazy aquamarine! – totally shocked me when I went to New Zealand.
I tried and I tried and I TRIED to get the polish to photograph as beautifully as it looks when worn, but to no avail. Sunlight didn’t bring it out; actually, when it looks it’s most stunning is in diffused, indirect, warm lighting – which is a bitch to photograph in. Needless to say, I’m not happy….but I tried my best!
The second shot is where I captured its beauty most, but the polish is so damn shiny that it kept reflecting off the flash (argh!). But that is essentially how it looks at it’s most entrancing.
This last shot makes it almost look like a jelly, but it’s not. Two coats to full opaqueness, although it’s nearly done in one. Applies easily with a good flow to the formula, though because of it’s darkness you do need to be a bit more careful than usual with application.
I love this polish with all my heart! These kinds of super-dark shades work best for me, rather than mid-tones or more muted/dusty ones. I also like ‘em dark like this because I feel like it transcends seasons – this would be suitable no matter what the weather or situation, because it’s essentially a neutral…..a BAD-ASS neutral, too
Any polishes you fallen head over heels for lately?
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