Rescue Beauty Lounge IKB: 2012

I was so excited for this color, I squeed when it arrived in the mail. This is the most I've ever spent on a single polish and the color is lovely. However, I've never seen application like this. It's thick, stringy, and it balls up on the nail. It took nine nails to get the application down. This is three coats with two coats of top coat. You can see the bumps on my nails, and the bubbles that ensued from my application issues. I think I might try some thinner but according to Ji, the owner of RBL, this color is just this way. My recommendation: Revlon Royal or Orly Royal Navy. They're not exact dupes but they should satisfy your craving for deep blue without the application issues (word of caution, there are some bad batches of Revlon Royal out there, if you have issues go get another bottle from a different store). If you must get this color (and it's a great color) use minimal brush strokes and apply a thicker coat than you would of other polishes. For $20 though you could get both the Revlon and Orly and a couple other colors. Also, I wish my nails had spikes like my rocking shoes. Enjoy!

52 Week Challenge Week 17: Earth Appreciation

Like I mentioned in my last post I decided to give Sinful Colors Happy Ending a shot on its own. Result? Love it! It's a great grass green with a pretty shimmer, and application was a breeze. Since Earth Day was my next scheduled mani I topped this with some OPI DS Magic, which is a great blue shimmer (glass fleck maybe?) with some magenta in it. Amazing! Another color I need to wear as a full mani. I think this combo looks a bit like a giraffe pattern.
I also got Rescue Beauty Lounge IKB:2012 yesterday and I have another blue to try, along with my dusty hunt find of Kaleidoscope Him Out. I'm thinking blue skittle toes for my wedding. Is that strange? I want to wear the holo because that's what I wear for weddings. For the wedding I was in last week my toes were pink holo, China Glaze Don't Be A Square. My polish obsession actually started with holo wedding nails, Sand-erella! So it's only fitting I keep the holo goodness up. I'll let you all know what I decide to use. I may even post pictures of my feet.
Enough of my wedding nails stream of consciousness. Enjoy my Earth Day nails!

Riveting and Charla- glass fleck amazingness

I am the proud owner of the entire Hunger Games polish collection and hadn't used a single one of them until this mani! For some reason I was feeling like orange and teal so out came China Glaze Riveting and Zoya Charla. All I can say is what an amazing combo! I need more glass flecks like these in my collection (aka hoard!) The best part is these are both one-coaters! Also, my elusive right hand AND the sun make an appearance! Enjoy!

Nicole by OPI Kendall on the Katwalk

I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the Kardashians. They're famous for being famous. I don't see that they use that for anyone's gain but their own. But I also LOVE this collection by NOPI, which came out in the fall. There are more colors in a new release that is out now at CVS but I haven't seen them yet. This is Kendall on the Katwalk, a pretty glitter with mainly blue but also green and purple glitter. This is two coats and two coats of topcoat (ProFX quick dry topcoat). This glitter dried a little matte and is a topcoat eater, there's still texture after two coats of topcoat. I was reminded of an afghan I have been working on for a while.

52 week challenge week 6: half-moon mani

So I've skipped week 5, I don't have any newspaper. I may come back to it. Week six is half moon mani. I used two Sinful Colors, Cinderella and Blue By You. Cinderella is a pale blue with a pink shimmer, it's gorgeous. Blue By You is a darker blue with turquoise shimmer. My base was three coats of Cinderella. I then used hole reinforcements to mark off the moons and put one coat of BBY. The result is a shimmery half moon. My friend said I had Smurf nails lol!

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure - Lagoon

First off, bubbles and brushstrokes? Really? Actually I don't mind brushstrokes but bubbles? C'mon!

So, application and drying issues aside I fracking love this color. Lagoon is another of my untrieds, and another eBay find. eBay FTW!!! It's a frosty teal, and in the bottle it looks duochrome. Sadly, it's not on as obvious the nail. The finish is a bit frosty, a bit metallic. Oh hell, I feel like I'm talking out my ass here. Just look at the pictures, you'll see.

I added an accent nail of some of my mom's new finds (she's recently decided she loves glitter polish and brought home four bottles the other day, three with holographic glitter. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree in this family!) Anyway, my accent nail started with SH Xtreme Wear Disco Ball but the holo effect was not to my liking so I topped that with Wet 'n' Wild Kaleidoscope. When I mentioned to my mom that Lagoon bubbled she said "Put some glitter on it," which reminds me of the dad from My Big Fat Greek Wedding "put some Windex on it!" She's right, can't really go wrong with glitter.

One more thing: this color is remarkably similar to the blue in my tattoo. If the tattoo wasn't healing and peeling right now and looking like some sort of contagious skin disease I'd take a picture of the nails next to the new ink. I won't subject you to that nastiness right now though! Go ahead and thank me!

On to the lovely pictures!

I don't know how to flip this image! Argh!

Look at the prettiness!

Outside some sunlight

Indoors artificial light

Indoors, artificial light

Indoors

Close up of the accent nail

Indoors with flash

Outdoors some sunlight

Removal: I was happy to remove this but ONLY because of the bubbles, removal was easy but left me with blue aka Smurf fingers. Nothing another swipe of acetone couldn't take care of though!