Sunshine, blue skies please go away

Good morning.

Today I have a dark blue/navy comparison.

Today's candidates from left to right:

Wet n' Wild Nocturnal

Orly Star of Bombay

Orly La Playa

Orly Blue Suede

I just picked up Nocturnal yesterday since Walgreens had a sale on Wet n' Wild. Mainly I bought it to make a navy jelly franken but it is pretty damn snazzy. That inspired me to do a comparison.

Left to right:

La Playa, Nocturnal, Star of Bombay and Blue Suede

All two coats, no base or top

Nocturnal and Star of Bombay are very similar. Both are a deep, dark navy that leans black with subsequent coats. However, Star of Bombay has a subtle blue shimmer and Nocturnal is a jelly creme.

La Playa is just awesome.

This gave an opportunity to use my new #1 layering polish, Sally Hansen DVD.

 Same as above, all topped with one coat of DVD

DVD looks amazing over blues, black, purples and grey. I love that the glitter gives an almost pebbled texture to the base color. The polish itself is a blue/purple duochrome jelly but will throw a green flash. It is simply amazing. I had to go out and buy a backup bottle because I love it so much.

That does it for now. I'm so wiped out from some major family drama from yesterday and I still have chores to do! Thank you as ever for coming by and have a wonderful day.

I will unzip the truth...

Good morning!

Today I'm showing a bit from my recent Claire's haul.

Claire's Mood Polish Flirty/Shy

Cool

Flirty/Shy

Warm

All are three coats over Gelous base

I resisted these for awhile but I couldn't help going back to this one. I don't have a blue like it in my stash. I didn't know that this dried matte until I got it and I'm tempted to wear it as such sometime. The application is a bit tricky. You have to find a balance between thick and thin coats or it will streak and be patchy. As is, I have a ginormous bald patch on right index finger. It may also be a good idea to wear a ridge filler under this but...I'm out. Boo.

I couldn't leave this alone because I wanted to use something else from my haul.

One coat of purple flakie

Of course I picked up the mini flakie set from Claire's. You know how I love me some flakies.

Word of warning, these smell terrible. It's a horrid, acrid plastic smell. I'm rolling with it anyway because I just apply it in the sunroom so I have adequate ventilation. The flakes are huge and they are very there. Again, I have to apply carefully or I have flakes hanging out over my tips or poking my cuticles. It does apply unevenly but two coats gets a nice layer of flakes.

I had to take pics of how my nails looked afterward because I was tickled by the color change differences on my hand. My ring finger was all dark while the others were light. Body chemistry is an interesting thing, no?

Guess my middle and ring fingers are cold!

That will do it for today. Hope everyone has a good start to the week!

Your Love is King

Good morning, guys!
No nail polish because today is my wedding anniversary.
I have a mystery date with my husband today so this is just a quickie to say hello. I have to hurry and finish some chores, do my nails and make myself look pretty when he picks me up!
However, I do have some pictures to share...       ;)

This is my favorite from our wedding.

The photographer got this as I was saying, "I win!"

I definitely did win when I met this man.

Here we are three and a half years later:

The finger gun thing is an inside joke, don't ask. ;)

I hope today to have a new picture of my handsome man for you because he has something else to celebrate.
He started the South Beach Diet over a month ago and has lost 26 pounds so far. Yay for Matt!

Guys, you have no idea how truly wonderful this man is. He is so funny, sweet, loving, exasperating, smart and lovely. I'm so proud to have built a life for the past 11 years with him and proud to be his wife. He is my best friend, my favorite and the love of my life.

With that I leave you with two more pics of the surprises I woke to this morning:

Flowers that resemble my bouquet from the wedding and a mystery box!

What I found inside the mystery box!

How amazing is Matt? Pretty spectacular! Anyway, that will do it for me. Time to run and finish my chores and then get pretty.
Hope you all feel the love I'm sending to you and have a wonderful day!

Compare and Contrast: Purples??

Good day!

Today I have another comparison between two very intriguing colors. One is the oft coveted and delightful Mr. Wrong from Hard Candy and the other is Purple Gala, the new LE Xtreme Wear by Sally Hansen.

Looks the same in the bottle...

In bottle both appear to have the same purple base but the gold glitter in Purple Gala seems bigger.

Let's see how they look on the nail:

Purple Gala is on index and ring, three coats

Mr. Wrong is on middle and pinkie, three coats

There is very little difference between the two. The only way you can tell them apart is if your coats are streaky like mine was on my index. Purple Gala's base is more of a blue toned purple while Mr. Wrong  has a grey-ed out purple base.

The glitter in Mr. Wrong is finer but more densely packed on the nail. 

Both have a foil-y and glittery appearance and are very hard to pin down. I again asked Matt to look at my nails in person and look at my pictures. Once again, he was hard pressed to tell the difference between the two. 

So, what's the winning polish? Neither really. The formula is even on both. I suggest buying Purple Gala only for two reasons: it's a LE and it is two dollars cheaper than Mr. Wrong. And...maybe if you refuse to shop at Walmart too.

I would recommend buying Mr. Wrong if you're like me and nostalgic for the good old days of Hard Candy's innovative colors and packaging but missed out in the 90's.

Do you need both? I say yes if you're a serious collector.

There ya have it! Which of the two do you prefer and why? Thoughts on the new LE Xtreme wears?

Hope you have a lovely day and thank you for coming by.

Compare and Contrast : Greens

Good day!

Today I'm bringing another comparison. I used both in a layering experiment and couldn't help but notice an uncanny resemblance between the two.

L.A. Girl Rock Star Head Banging

and

China Glaze Watermelon Rind

Both are turquoise green jelly bases with fine, glass fleck type glitter. In bottle they appear very similar.

On the nail, there is very little difference. Like, nitpicky difference.

Both are three coats.

Watermelon Rind is on middle and pinkie

Head Banging is on index and ring

Of course I ding two of my nails but I am making a killer pinto bean soup and I feel okay denting my nails by grabbing a carton of chicken broth. Anyway...

The only difference I can see is that Watermelon Rind is more dense with its third coat. What I mean by dense is that it would take Head Banging four or five coats to reach that kind of dense green base. Beyond that, I was not able to discern much difference between them at all.

I even consulted my best resource for color and texture, Matt!

Matt has an eye for detail and is picky as hell. He saw my pics and my nails in real life and was not able to find the difference. Aside from the fact that he thought I applied an extra coat on my middle finger.

So, which is one is better? The formula is a snotch better with China Glaze. If cost is a concern, go with Head Banging since it is on the average $2.99. Overall, I dig both and am not at all upset that I have two very similar polishes.

What say you? Do you spot a difference I missed? Which would you prefer?

That does it for now. Hope you have a wonderful day!

The red circle holds the only light

Good day!

I'm bringing a quickie layering shot I did the other day. I don't know why but I woke up wanting red on my nails.
I grabbed a Sally Hansen mini I've used a couple of times that's a nice true red and slapped it on. Well, I think my Nailtek Foundation II is simply done because it grabbed hold of this polish and streaked and kind of looked like it was drinking it in. This simply would not do so I grabbed a trusty duochrome to help take care of the issue.

Two coats Sally Hansen unnamed red mini

topped with one coat Nina Ultra Pro Molten Ruby

Not too shabby, but it kind of gave it a pinkish cast that I did not like. As evidenced in the next picture:

You can kind of make out the warm golden orange flash Molten Ruby throws but it does look a little frosty.

I wasn't super excited about this. It helped cover the sadness of application woes but it wasn't my favorite.

However, at different angles you could see that golden orange flash and that was awesome. I guess I was hoping it would come out that way period.

This was not easy to capture at all!

I think I'm going to stick to wearing Molten Ruby on its own. It's not bad over black BUT it's a little difficult to apply in a nice, even, thin coat. And on this mani I could see those brush strokes and I did not like it! (No one else could but that's besides the point.) So, what have we learned?? Molten Ruby is best on its own and I need a new bottle of ridge filler. Yay.

Thanks for coming by. Hope the coming weekend will be lots of fun! I will be planning a new Duck Day mani for Saturday so stay tuned for that.

Atomic waste displaced

Good morning!

Today I'm bringing you a swatch of a color that I've only been showing layered. I'm also asking you to name that song from the lyric posted in the title! My last round didn't go so well considering I had no guesses. :( Sad Panda. (However, if you were curious to know, "All those pretty sheep sit mesmerized," is a lyric from Liv Kristine's "3 A.M.")

Moving along to the pics:

Three coats L.A. Colors Radiation, no base or top

I picked this up at Dollar Tree a couple of weeks ago while stocking up on cotton rounds. Radiation is a great electric blue that is slightly metallic and duochrome that throws a green flash. Three coats are optimal for opacity and this applies very nicely. It's not runny or thick. I was very impressed that brush strokes were so minimal since it is somewhat metallic. I do recommend a ridge filler underneath though, it will highlight any uneven surface of your nail.

Same as above but with a snotch more light

I really couldn't capture the duochrome of this and it seems that my camera no longer likes blues. However, you can see its metallic qualities in this shot.

I really like this so much better than I originally thought I would. I knew it was going to be super for layering but I thought it might be underwhelming on its own. Gratefully, no!

So there ya have it! Has anybody found some sweet surprises from Dollar Tree lately? 

I am going to hit Rite-Aid today to see what kind of fun Halloween theme polish they might have and I'm sorely tempted to buy a gallon of pure acetone at Sally. I panic when my regular bottle gets the halfway point.

See you soon and I hope you all have a pleasant day!

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't

Good morning!
Today I'm bringing another bit of layering and just random playing around.

Base is Orly Out of this World

From middle to tip of each finger is Milani Totally Cool

I did this maybe thinking I'd try a gradient effect and then realizing I just did not have the patience. Totally Cool is quite nice over this and it deepens the purple base. It's pinky-ish shimmer adds a bit of fire and warms things nicely. 

It was all too subtle so I of course, had to do more.

Tips are two thin coats of Sally Hansen DVD

I could not capture how cool this could look. DVD is such a great layering polish since it has this glorious purple flash. 

With one coat of DVD...it needed both.

It didn't seem like much in these photos but in person, it had such brilliance, fire and flash. It definitely perked my manicure up and made me smile. 

Speaking of smile, boy have I needed it. Work has just been so challenging and exhausting. My schedule is great for blogging but after a long day, I just don't have the energy. Things are looking up though. It will get a bit easier and I'm looking forward to having more energy. Thank you for hanging around. I always appreciate a visit or a comment.

Have a lovely day and I'll see you soon!

Looking through the layers

Good morning!

I'm up to my usual tricks and had some super good fun layering. I really enjoy layering because it's interesting to see how colors play together but it's also a good way to expand my nail polish wardrobe. Plus, I realized I can show some of the latest polishes in a new way. Thus, I'm showing bits of my Cosmic FX stash without doing the same old, same old.  ;)

Base is Sally Hansen Salon in Black Patent Leather

Index: One coat L.A. Colors Craze Radiation

Middle: One coat of Orly Space Cadet

Ring: One coat of Orly Halley's Comet

Pinkie: One coat of Orly Galaxy Girl

Black Patent Leather is a discontinued polish but it is an exact dupe for China Glaze Liquid Leather.

I love how Radiation becomes such a vibrant, shimmery green over the black.

But wait, look at the Orly polishes! Oh, my word they are hot layered over black. Space Cadet looks like a gorgeous fiery pink glitter over the black. Halley's Comet becomes a verdant green sparkle that is just so pretty. Galaxy Girl becomes deeper and darker with subtle blue sparkle. It's less impressive as the others but still quite lovely.

Let me show you another angle so you can see the differences!

Pretty!

Space Cadet still throws that warm, golden olive flash and Halley's Comet reclaims it's blue flash at this angle.

This was a really fun experiment and definitely expands the wear you can get from the Cosmic FX.

Now, let me show you some layering over my favorite dark, green creme.

Base: two coats Orly Wandering Vine

Ring: Two sloppy coats Orly Space Cadet

Middle: One coat L.A. Girl Rock Star Head Banging

Ring: One coat L.A. Girl Rock Star Crowd Surfing

Pinkie: One coat China Glaze Watermelon Rind

Space Cadet is still quite nice over this, I'm just sorry my application is so bad. I got caught in the middle of a kitty stampede! (Trixie and Dita were chasing each other all over the house and took me out!) Head Banging and Watermelon Rind looked exactly the same so now I need to do a comparison of them.

Close-up!

I think the clear winner here is Crowd Surfing. How amazing does it look over Wandering Vine? 

What other colors would you try over this? 

That does it for me! I have a few chores to finish before it's time to start a new work week.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ducks stackin' wins like Legos, Toastin' Pac-10 like the Eggos

Good morning!

Today I have the first Duck Day manicure of the season! I chose different elements as well as a totally different color this time around.

Three coats of Orly-It's Not Rocket Science

 No name Flower decals on index and ring

"O" temporary tattoos for body and nails on rest.

I finally got the entire Cosmic FX collection and I am crazy about it. Which is why I ended up with this lovely color rather than my usual darker green. I had to wear it!

Orly has yet to disappoint me but I do have a minor issue. Thin coats do not work for me as I experienced drag and streakiness. Doing it a little thicker gave me better results. I did notice some spots on my nails that were a little sheer but I attribute that more to the issues I add with thick vs. thin coats.

Moar sun!

I was so excited to find these temporary tattoos at Oregon Sports. I saw the illustration on the package that showed it could be used on nails and I snapped them up. They were pricey at $4.00 but since I have little talent for freehanding and nothing in my stamping plate collection to replicate the "O", these  fulfilled my longing. They were a little odd to use because I'm so used to nail stickers. However, they applied very easily and lasted a very long time.

The trick is to let them dry thoroughly before applying top coat. I used one coat of Art Club sealer over them than two coats of Out The Door.

The first game of the season turned out to be a huge triumph, if not a little embarrassing. The Ducks dominated New Mexico 72-0. Ouch. But also, YAY! I'm looking forward to see what this season offers.

GO DUCKS!

How do you feel about my color choice? What would you like to see for future Duck Day manicures?

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Hope there's someone who'll set my heart free...

Good day!

In this post, I'm sharing something I've been working on. It took me over a year to even begin working on it because I was just so sad. I finally finished a little tribute to my babies, Copper and Daisy.

Way back in 1999, I met Matt and he had with him two of the best dogs EVER. I was completely smitten with him and his puppies. For nine years, we were a little family. Then Daisy became very tired and retired to Boca. (Matt refuses to say that they were put to sleep or they died. So we compromised and say that they retired to Boca.) The next year, Copper joined her. We were just completely heartbroken. How could you not love faces like these?

Daisy, guarding our backyard from squirrels

Copper, not happy to be woken from a nap UNLESS a cookie is being offered.

They were our life, guys. Daisy was my BFF and Copper was dad's little buddy. It was so sad to watch them grow old and then have to say goodbye. This is also where I tell you how much I treasure my Trixie cat. She came to me on my birthday to heal my broken heart over Daisy. 

So now to show you just what I've done...

I have this ready to go in a shadowbox. I added squirrel, tree and flower stickers because the backyard was Daisy's favorite place. Copper loved being outside only when it was sunny and warm. Then, he'd lay on his back and sun his belly. I put Daisy's old ID tag in there and I will eventually put her collar in there. As for Copper's...Matt got rid of his collar and keeps his ID tag on his key chain.

It's all very cutesy but it fits both of their personalities. They were sweet, sunny and loving dogs. I still miss them so much...

That pretty much says it all.

All those pretty sheep sit mesmerized (PIC HEAVY)

Good day!
Today I have something new and it is pic heavy! There is also another virtual cookie contest to name that song!
Without further ado, let's get to the pics...

I got my hands on two from the Orly Plastix collection and I decided to have some layering fun:

Orly Viridian Vinyl 

two coats, no base or top

I love the satiny and rubbery texture going on with this! As is, it is really cool and the color is highly pigmented. No issues with formula though I recommend applying thicker coats or you will get drag and streaks.

Same as above with one poorly applied coat of Orly Halley's Comet

I did a bad job putting on a thin coat of Halley's Comet but it does look cool over this. It's so sparkly!!

Of course, I had to see what it might look like matte:

Very muted. And a snotch disappointing. Just a snotch. I'd probably still rock it.

I did another paint job and had some fun with layering other polishes. Though I am disappointed in the gloomy weather of the morning. I was completely unable to capture the beauty of one finger!

Index to pinkie:

Sinful Green Ocean

L.A. Colors Craze Radiation

Sally Hansen HD DVD

Cover Girl Boundless Color City Lights

Radiation is a snazzy, sheer duochrome that throws off such a pretty green flash. I just simply could not capture it! Grrr... I also was not able to capture the purple flash that DVD throws. Argh. Just know it looks amaze, ok?

I also had some fun with Old School Orange. I love orange so I absolutely had to have this! That, and the red and purple from this collex was sold out at my Sally so...it wasn't the hardest decision.

That said, who knew orange could look so cool in this finish?

Old School Orange

three coats, no base or top

Once again, I suggest you use thicker coats on this. It is a little sheer and is prone to dragging and streaking if you use thin coats. Damn, I love this. 

Index to pinkie:

OPI DS Treasure

China Glaze Golden Enchantment AND 5 Golden Rings

Cover Girl Boundless Color City Lights

Nina Ultra Pro Molten Gold

Oh, holy bats this was fun! Treasure is awesome over this as it is with every orange. Sadly, it refused to play nice with my camera. (I know it's time to get a new camera.)

Golden Enchantment mixes really well with 5 Golden Rings and looks amazing over this. (As an aside, has anyone else had issues with Golden Enchantment not drying? SRSLY, it takes so long to dry on me!)
My absolute favorite is how Molten Gold looks over this. It makes it a peachy-pinkish color that is divine.

I took five million pictures to get the golden flash it throws as well as it's just plain awesomeness. 

It's so beautiful!!

This was so much fun! I do love to play with layering. ;)

What have been some of your favorite layering combos? Any that were total fail?

Thank you for stopping by! I'm off to play with some more of my awesome Orly haul...

We're space truckin' round the the stars

Good day!

Originally I intended to show you a layering combo, poorly done nail art and some snazzy decals I got. I was waylaid by some Twitter drama though. So this has taken me two hours to write this post. Oy.
So let's get to the pics!

Two coats China Glaze Grape Pop
topped with two coats Milani Totally Cool

Really. I am so disappointed in my camera and the gloomy weather. This is a glorious combination. Grape Pop is such a richly pigmented purple but Totally Cool's jelly goodness adds another dimension that is like...whoa.Which is the technical term by the way.

I just don't understand why my camera would not play nice with this. It may be that it's old and cranky.

See? This is a little bit better. 

Now is the time to show you my piss poor nail art that I did yesterday morning.

Original pairing of above

Tips are too many coats of Color Club Warhol and 

one coat of L.A. Girl Rock Star Scandal

I seriously do not remember which packet of nail decals this is from.

FAIL.

It really did not turn out well. I was trying to cheer myself up after a ridiculously hellish night at work and I had a raging migraine that was not helped by the jack hammering next door. Yes, I woke with a migraine and my neighbors were having their foundation repaired that morning. So awesome!

So that pretty much sums it up there. Meh.

Finally, I got some new nail decals from my friend, Kellie. I am a little afraid of the French manicure ones ONLY because my nail beds are so tiny. But they are really snazzy. I may have to be brave and trim them to use them though.

That does it for me for now. I'm headed to Sally to pick up some Orly gorgeousness and then Dollar Tree for supplies. Thanks for stopping by!