The Nail Novice

Pink Wedding Fail

2010-10-19T12:07:00.003-04:00

Ok, so now that the wedding is coming up, I have been on the hunt for the perfect pale pink. The problem is, I am not good at finding pale colors and I don't usually like pinks.

So yesterday, I went to Ulta during the Buy 2 get 1 sale, and spent forever trying to find some shades. The blue for my toes was no problem. The pinks, however, ugh.

Long story short, I ended up going to the clearance bin, and I picked up Piggy Polish Piglet (see fingers in the top two and thumb in the bottom) and China Glaze Something Sweet (fingers in the bottom and thumb in the top two) I added some gold dust on them this morning to see if it would salvage it for the day anyway. I think the colors are nice, but too bright for my wedding.

I need help! I am going to go to Sally's today to try again. If I cannot find a good one at Sally's it's back to Ulta to buy the traditional Essie Wedding Collection colors. But-- I am trying to avoid that. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

First an apology.

2010-10-19T11:59:00.000-04:00

It has been a really tough year. Wedding planning took up more time and energy than I ever wanted it to, but now that we are two weeks out, I am revitalized and ready to throw myself into the blog again. Hopefully, I will be able to pull some readers back.

A quick rundown of events of the last six months.

1. My nails were tired, rundown, chipped and they just weren't holding polish.
2. I planned a wedding and will be getting married in two weeks!
3. My fiance fell at work and has been off, had surgery, and has been in a cast.
4. His work fought the claim, so we have been on one income the last two months (two months before the wedding)
5. We have to prepare for a hearing now and dealing with a lawyer right before the wedding.

So basically it was like a mini-bout of depression, without the depressed mood. I've been handling it all pretty well, but I have had to just deal with it and not have any time or money for distractions, now I am slowly getting back to my normal self and I am ready to start blogging again.

Easter Egg Mani

2010-03-29T08:59:00.000-04:00

Things have been slow as far as nails go. I am giving my nails a break, because under all this polish they are getting weak and ugly. But maybe by the end of this week, I'll be ready to create again. How do y'all keep your nails in a polish mood?

Anyway,

Here is a mani I did for the last week, an easter egg mani. I used CG Light as Air, Essie MCA, and Sally Hansen Mellow Yellow. With the other two colors nearby, the Light as Air came out really lavender, which was nice, and the mellow yellow was not as soft as I wanted, but it definitely reminded my of Easter eggs.

At the end of the rainbow.

2010-03-17T11:44:00.000-04:00

I decided to do an unconventional St. Pat's Day Mani, because I knew I would be decked out in my green anyway, and thought I would play with the rainbow.

For the colors I used:
Red- an unnamed Red I got for Xmas, that I really like
Orange- OPI on the same paige,
Yellow- SH Extreme Wear, Mellow Yellow
Green Zoya Midori
Blue- China Glze Shower Together.

I am really proud about the way it came out, though I would love better quality of this shade of red-- any suggestions?

--MB

Vintage Wallet Series Part 1

2010-03-14T17:45:00.001-04:00

My favorite accessory I own is this vintage style clip wallet, so I decided to see if I could pull as many similar and complimentary colors from it and match what polishes I have.

First up is Zoya Irene. It's a beautiful gold-toned green, It applies very clean, which is necessary for me, and I think it matches nicely.

In other news, life is both busy and happy. I am thoroughly enjoying the new job, and I get lots of feedback, which was sorely missed before.

Also, this week I adopted two rescue rats, who had a very sad story before they came into my home. You can read their story and see pictures here.

Up and Away, but not quite Irish

2010-03-09T08:35:00.000-05:00

As Irish as I am, I was more than thrilled to get Four Leaf Clover from the China Glaze Up and Away collection.
And it was a beautiful color, just not quite Irish.

I ruined this batch of photos btw, but thought it still deserved posting.

But perfect for Spring!

What do you think?

Wicked

2010-03-08T14:05:00.000-05:00

I know y'all don't usually respond well to my posts with my eyes, but here was the eye makeup look I did for taking my mom to Wicked this weekend.

I used the Ulta black eyeliner and Emerald Isle eyeshadow from my freebies, and my favorite UD Skyscraper mascara. For highlighting and blending I used the other colors in the same palette as Emerald Isle.

For my nails I wore......... Emerald Sparkle (Surprise, Surprise)

Light as Air

2010-03-06T08:43:00.001-05:00

I didn't think I would like this color, but it had that look of something that looks bad on the hanger but is just interesting enough to buy it anyway, in hopes it will look amazing on.

And, I love it. The only reason I didn't think I would like it was that it is very light and pastel compared to my normal shades. But it's pretty cool. It applies very well, and though these pictures are a little messy (another at work mani) I think I will leave this color on today even though I had planned to move to an Alice in Wonderland color, in honor, or should I say honour, of seeing the movie I've waited so long for.

I justify it by saying I think Alice would probably wear this color if she had the choice.

Curiouser and Curiouser....

Nail 9-1-1

2010-03-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

So because I've been sleeping ALOT to rest up my body so it can fight against the dangers of Kidney stones. I have been setting my phone/alarm on silent except for alarm. AKA "Alarm Only" but one day this week, it was accidentally set to "Silent", which meant no alarm, and I slept in until 7:53, which meant I had all of 22 minutes to get ready and arrive at work (15 minutes away).

Normally I can pull this off in a pinch, however, I had fallen asleep after a nail fiasco involving Icing Lucky Luis, which I couldn't even capture and won't wear again. But what's left of it can be seen above.

So, regrettably, I had to arrive at work with the nails from H-E-L-L. But on the way out of the door, I grabbed a bottle of nail polish remover with about two drops left in it, and China Glaze Flying Dragon and Orly Prima Gloss Gold. And since I have my own office now, I was able to spare about 20 minutes to do the best I could to cover it up/clean it up and look presentable.

And since I didn't have but two drops of remover left, I had no way of cleaning up, which as you can tell from previous pictures could have been a disaster. Regardless, I managed to pull something off that actually turned out ok. And looks cool and unique enough to share here.

So please don't judge me based on the grossness, and instead see the beauty in a quickie-at-work mani that saved the day.

I used three coats of Flying Dragon, but chose it because it dries super fast. And then I covered it with Prima Gloss: 1. because my Seche Vita is running low and is no longer efficient, and 2. Because I thought it would work out.

It did.

Sooo Soooooorrrry

2010-03-03T15:45:00.000-05:00

I know I have been MIA the last two weeks, my kidneys decided to attack me. But I am back, and I finally have something new to share.

This amazing blue came in my Ulta package I got for free via an amazing deal in Fenruary. I gave one of the two colors that came away (It was a golden yellow and I cannot pull that off)

The other, however, was this electric blue that was called "Something Blue"

And though I hesitate to say I will wear this for my wedding. (well maybe on my toes) It was a very cool color with a lot of smile built in. No matter how bad I was feeling, this color said to the world. I'm here and I am electric. Boogie, Woogie Woogie.

It's Friday, It's Friday!

2010-02-19T10:41:00.000-05:00

I made it to Friday! My Black w/Mad Hatter combo has successful survived, with just one lost chipped off nail on each hand! Don't worry though, I would never go blank-- I painted the blank nail on each hand For Audrey, which actually looks pretty punk next to the sparkly black.

Anyway, I should have new swatches for you guys tomorrow, and I am finally thawing out so there should be sunshine soon.

In the meantime, check out this amazing blog http://slapdashcookster.blogspot.com/ from my friend Nakesha, whose nails have been featured here before. She has started a cooking blog that takes a similar approach to food that I do with nails. Loves it!

Some Good Beauty Deals you Can't Pass

2010-02-16T17:10:00.000-05:00

I have some good news for y'all! There are some amazing deals on the internet right now, and if you have the spare change, you should definitely partake.

1.) Ulta is offering a free 15-piece set with any purchase of Ulta products. The set includes two nail polishes, a blush, a bronzer, two eyeshadow quads, a lipstick, a lip gloss duo, a mirror, a cosmetic case, a dual-ended eye liner and a four-piece brush set. To qualify, you only need to spend 17.50, which is less than the cost of three eyeshadows ($21, $7 each) or many other fabulous items.

The set comes in Tiger Lily (warm), Peonies (cool) and orchids (spring trend colors) I went for the spring trends.

I don't know what prompted the deal, but it is by far the best out there right now, and now that I've secured mine, I had to share. The deal is good through Feb. 20 or until supplies last.

2.) The other hot deal is Zoya's New York Fashion Week celebration, in which you get two free full-size nail polishes with any $10 purchase. If you buy two polishes ($14, or $7 each) you can get two more free. Use this as a chance to get the Reverie collection on the cheap. The code is NYFW, and $14 will come off your total once you go through the checkout process. The deal is good through Friday.

Let me know if you have tried or are planning on trying out either deal. I am still toying with the Zoya deal. (I don't know what I would get)

What are your favorite Zoyas (No MORE Greens, I have plenty Zoya greens thanks to Green Friday)

Glam Rock!

2010-02-15T18:26:00.000-05:00

I am at the end of my first swatched of my most anticipated collection-- OPI Alice In Wonderland.

For my last swatch I did Orly Liquid Vinyl covered with one layer of Mad as a Hatter and 3 of Seche Vite. I plan on getting the most of this mani, so it is worth taking it off when the time comes.

In the meantime, enjoy these pics. Mad As A Hatter, if you haven't heard already, dumps a ton of glitter in just one coat and I am sure it can be layered over a ton of options. I almost went with white, but wanted to try my new black out, so I killed two birds with one stone.

And as a bonus, here's a shot I took of Off With her Head:

RED, white and Absolutely Alice

2010-02-13T19:50:00.000-05:00

So in honor of my favorite time of the biennium-- OLYMPICS. I have some colors/ NOTDs from the last few days to share for you.

First are some Valentine's Day Reds-- The first is A Flirt! Red I got in a set for Xmas. I love it, actually. It is a red creme that is a pure Valentine's Red... But it didn't wear so hot. It was cute, but started to wear down after 30 hours or so.

It was a beautiful color though, and one coat did it!

Next was Thanks So Muchness, which I am actually wearing today, thanks to a wonderful gift from my best friend on Friday. This was the mini I was least looking forward to trying of the Alice OPI collection. (which isn't saying much, because I love them all) But it came out really nice after two coats, but was a little messy with the mini bottle and brush.

Take a PEEK:

All right-- the white is obviously my transparently fair skin, and for the blue-- I couldn't resist the color I was looking forward to the most from Alice OPI -- ALICE!!!!

I had to fit it on my toes, because I am keeping the cleaned up Thanks So Muchness for Valentine's

My Mom actually painted my toes as a treat today, and I was Uber Pleased with the color-- It is everything I hoped and everything you'all want it to be if you haven't tried it-- Now let's just see if it holds up on the tipsies, because that's the only complaint I have heard-- Still, even if it only lasted 3 minutes, this color is totally worth every second.

Audrey, the call girl

2010-02-10T11:22:00.000-05:00

Because it's a snow day, I decided to have a little fun with a new polish (for me) and a recent favorite.

Today I bought For Audrey, a China Glaze lemming for me, which I had been going back and forth on evertime I saw it, but finally took the plunge. I am glad I did... I hesitated because I do not typically like Tiffany blue, but this came off a little more Robin's Eggy, or so I tell myself.

I abstractly striped it over Icing Call Girl, which I am still in love with and had worn to work for the hour I was there...

The result reminded me of an over-the-counter medicine's packaging, but I still really like it... you?

Shot Through the Heart....

2010-02-08T20:11:00.001-05:00

The goal for this VDAY mani was to do something a little rockerish, so what's more rocker than glitter, glam and lightning bolts? .... nothing, that's what!

For this look, which lasted all of Sunday and half of Monday before I dropped a ream of paper on my cute thumb, I used China Glaze Ruby Pumps, two lightning bolt nail stickers, and then I did something near blasphemous to the ruby pumps....

I layered Ulta Gold Digga on top--

It did take away the light from within RP, but the end result was pretty cute and Bad Ass in an Avril Lavine I'm trying to hard kind of way...

Thanks to my Pittweiler Izzy for helping with the poses!

Giveaway Winner!!!!

2010-02-07T20:20:00.001-05:00

Congratulations --- Smart Cents Mom --- for winning my first giveaway. I only had six people enter, so I cut up the names and had BF draw one, and he picked you! Congrats again, I sent you an e-mail.

Ok 4 Work

2010-02-07T14:19:00.001-05:00

So the first week of work was AWESOME. I actually got promoted on Friday and am officially a salaried member of the team! (sorry for lack of posting, I was adjusting to a new schedule)

But for the past week I got to do my job, which is writing and promoting, marketing and PR, and I also got to play receptionist, because the normal receptionist was out. So for inspiration, I wore a lot of Mad Men inspired fashion. It was super cute. I also wanted to show my nail personality but not go too far in the first week.

So I went with this nice navy, which is also pretty awesome, but can look muted against the right greys.

So for your enjoyment, OPI Yoga Ta Get this Blue-- my first week at work color of choice. Next week is going to start out a little more extreme, with a V-Day mani.

The nails that got the job

2010-02-02T18:10:00.001-05:00

So, after a grand total of one day officially unemployed, I got a new job, and I started Monday. So, now I can think of last week as a paid vacation.

These are photos of the nail color I wore Friday when I got hired. The color is Orly Enchanted Forest, which I got on sale at Sally, just like many others. I applied the other half of the duo, prisma gloss gold, and for a grand total of $1.99 I got this look and a job!

As I mentioned before, I like to think of the prisma as pixie dust, so I like to think of it as the enchanted and the green as the forest.

It all applied very cleand and easily. This is two coats!

Call Girl

2010-01-28T20:52:00.000-05:00

If I was a call girl, I would probably wear a deep vampy red on my nails, but apparently Icing seems to think a bright Barbie pink is fit for the character.

Icing's Call Girl was found snuggly in the store's clearance rack. If I had known then that $2 would buy me this much of a smile, I would have cleaned out the rack.

This was my first Icing polish, but I will definitely be back. It was bright and opaque in two coats. It applied evenly and smoothly, and did not cause any messiness for me, which is hard... if a polish can stay under control in my wonky hands, then I am up for more ... much more.

The only problem was the shower together blue that wouldn't free itself from my nail bed edges. So, I decided to experiment to see what Orly Prima Gloss Gold, from Sally's clearance rack.

I like this a lot because based on how much I shake the bottle, I can make it more or less glittery. It's like a little dusting of pixie powder, but it maintains the color underneath and doesn't change it... awesome.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Shower Together

2010-01-28T09:29:00.002-05:00

So yesterday I tried Shower Together by China Glaze. It was a color I was very eager to get and just as impressed with in person. However, the formula was NO fun. It was a creme, but it was a creme that wouldn't spread itself out, and it needed four coats just to even itself out.

I loved it when it was finished though. Above it is shown with a top coat of Seche Vite and flash.

But I should've taken the formula as a sign, because it chipped off big time on a couple nails after an evening nap. So I took it off and moved on to the next color in my haul. I still love it, and I will still wear it, but it will take some practice for a novice like me.

Dream Catcher and Bargain Buys = Happy Day 4 Me

2010-01-27T09:31:00.002-05:00

Today I went on a journey to use my little spending cash to buy as much happiness as I could.

First I put on my last bargain purchase: Nicole by OPI Dreamcatcher which I picked up for $3 at TJ Maxx.

The formula was really easy to apply and very buildable. I could have left it alone at two or three coats. The top two photos are with 4 coats though, but it wasn't too thick. Still, a hot shower caused some weirdness on the middle finger so I added a 5th coat and Seche Vite. It still doesn't feel too thick, and it is a beautiful color. I actually almost picked up CG Dreamsicle at Sally's on clearance for $1.99 but I thought it was too close.

Then, throughout the day I picked up the polishes below for a bargain, and one at regular price:

From Left: Orly Enchanted Forest and Prisma Gloss Gold for $1.99 for the pair at Sally;

Next stop was Icing's clearance racks where I picked up neons Lucky Luis and Call Girl for $2 each,

and the only one I paid the full $4.45 for was China Glaze Shower Together, because I was on a mission for blue and this one won out.

I also stopped by Ulta and found Essie Lollipop, Mint Candy Apple, OPI Ginger Bells, and tons of holiday awesomeness, but I resisted. I am still technically without job. Sally also had Emerald Sparkle on Sale for $1.99. So if you are out hunting, now's the time.

Not bad for one day and less than $10 total, and it worked to cheer me up. Two-week notice was supposed to end Thursday, but I got let go yesterday (still getting paid through Thursday) so I needed some cheering up. I wasn't upset about the situation, more so the douchiness of my (now former) boss:

Example:

When I had put in my two-week notice, he gave me a list of 15 stories to write before I left. Although it was way too many and some of the articles were pointless and/or stupid, I was making progress, but when he asked me to stay late to finish 5 of them Monday, I said no. I knew he was using me to get as much done as I could before leaving, and he's the one who pressured me into quitting anyway. So when I told him no, he said I had to stay late. I said I would get as much done before 5:00 as I could but I was going to leave on the dot, and I guess he couldn't stand the fact that I finally stood up for myself, because he asked for my keys right then. To top it off, he then asked me to stay until 5 anyway and finish as much as I could. I said no way and deleted my notes and left.

Yay for me!

Boo for sexist bosses!

Giveaway Swatches

2010-01-26T20:12:00.000-05:00

Wondering what one of the colors in my giveaway looks like?

I finally got a chance to swatch my own bottle of Pink Twice, which is a lovely baby pink shade in the discontinued Sally Hansen Salon colors. It applies really well and is bottle color in 3 coats. The finished product creates a nice sheen but the big draw is the delicate color. I think it is a nice alternative to the mannequin hands trend, which is starting to remind me of old lady pantyhose. Instead, this offers a color that's like skin with a soft candlelit blush.

Wearing this made me feel feminine, light and airy. I hope whoever wins it will love it just the same.

If you haven't entered yet... please do.

New Layout

2010-01-23T22:08:00.001-05:00

****Breaking News ****
Comment form is fixed now-- let the contest comments re-commence (sorry)

I've tried a few things during the past few days as far as layouts on the blog, to see what best describes me and makes me happiest when I visit the blogosphere, and I've decided on this new look. I hope you like it. It's a little out there, and a lot different than the calm, pale oranges of before, but I hope it helps to stand out.

It certainly does make me happy when I see it. Ha! Sassy, colorful, sexy, and a little naughty but a lot of confidence and attitude to go along with it. I think we will have to come up with a name for the girl to my left. She is so awesome! If I wasn't stuck in corporate America (which I still will be after I start a new job) I would totally look like this.

Giveaway ..... Tempted?

2010-01-23T09:35:00.001-05:00

Do these look tempting to you? If so, you have a chance to win them!

In honor of my new beginnings, I am having my first giveaway!

Prize includes: Sally Hansen Pink Twice, Forsythia and Sheer Pressure

Rules:

*Must Be a Follower

*Must leave a comment with your e-mail address on this post, and tell me what you like or would change about this blog.

* A winner will be picked randomly

* Contest goes for two weeks (in honor of my two-week notice). It ends at 8 p.m. EST Saturday Feb. 6

Messy Nail Swag

2010-01-22T21:33:00.000-05:00

I didn't have time or the will to properly swatch a lot in the last week. But, I did get some good swag of a lot of messy nails I wore in this time. Take a peek. If you dare. (it's pretty scary)

OPI Teal the cows come home

Zoya Savita

Sally Hansen Mellow Yellow Smiley Face Mani

Back to Nails, Back to Reality

2010-01-22T16:21:00.002-05:00

However do you want it; However do you need it? Ugh!
(Does anyone else remember that song?)

Anywayz, I finally have some swatches to share. Today I tried Meet for Drinks a $OPI I won on a giveaway from Manicure Mammas.

The color was gorgeous and application was great, but I couldn't leave well enough alone, and made it Meet for Drinks in the City, with a top coat of Cover Girl City Lights. I think I have an unhealthy addiction to this holo glitter.

The result was a sparkling wine color that I learned to love throughout the day, but I should have kept on the MFD alone, because it really was a vampy beautiful burgandy.

Top with flash, above without.

So... what do you think of the bubbly?

Egypt Eyes

2010-01-21T13:59:00.002-05:00

I was in a HUGE Rush this morning, but I still managed to create this Egyptian eye look with my new Urban Decay Get Baked palette.

I used the Flipside shade above the eyeliner and then Baked all the way up.

I also used Urban Decay Zero and Skyscraper mascara, as well as primer potion in the original color. The photos were taken six hours after application, so I think it held up well to another day in the office I no longer belong to.

What do you think?

Job Interview Nails and Clothes

2010-01-19T16:42:00.004-05:00

I couldn't stand to go safe today, so this is what I wore. The color is spicy scarlet from Sally Hansen Salon line (the old ones)

The color came off like a mix between flourescent orange and a red. It kind of looks like a brand new traffic cone, but at the same time looked really fashion-forward with a teal turtleneck and gray khaki jumper dress.

Sorry

2010-01-18T21:54:00.001-05:00

Sorry for not posting recently. I will have tons of swatches and a giveaway to share soon. I've just been working hard to secure a job before the next two weeks are up!

More later,

MB

Starting Over

2010-01-14T14:19:00.005-05:00

Sometimes you just need to start over, so I told my job peace today, well two weeks from now, but I am still much happier.

Colors used on nails: Azalea (Sally Hansen salon) and Tangy (Zoya). All other nails are Azalea.
On eyes: Badgal Plum lash mascara, bourbon eyeliner, and sage eyeshadow

Nude Nails on the Cheap

2010-01-12T19:00:00.003-05:00

So... I don't know quite how I feel about this trend, but I thought I would try it out thanks to a $2 CVS coupon for my birthday. Basically for free then, I picked up Wet N' Wild Mega Last in #209.

Pretty much nothing can match my skin in nail polish form because I am translucent in complexion, and basically pink see-through, but this came pretty close, and I am betting would work for any of you who are looking for a budget-friendly way to try out if this is for you... like I did.

The formula was so so, I ended up having to apply 3-4 coats to even out bubbles and such, but for the most part, it was smooth and controllable. The color came pretty close to the nude nail trends, but had a little sheen to it also, which I liked.

What do you think of the trend? Is it for you?

Frosted Cupcake Mani

2010-01-11T17:52:00.003-05:00

Today, I am a quarter-century old. To celebrate, I added two more coats of city lights on top of my Orly Gorgeous+ City Lights Barbie Mani. I am calling it frosted cupcake mani.

Over the weekend I also had my first day out with my "lil sister" and we of course painted nails before the bridal convention. She did the pink sparkle the night before so we kind of matched, but she said she fell asleep before the other hand, so I let her look through my stash, and she chose Greenwitch Village. How cute is the combo for a 10-year-old?

Put on a Happy Face

2010-01-09T10:08:00.003-05:00

So today is the bridal convention, and I need to go regardless of how I feel. I think this makeup look worked wonders.

-Some Kinda Gorgeous foundation faker
-Sugar Rush Blush also from Benefit
-Estee Lauder lash primer
-Estee Lauder mascara in black
-Estee Lauder eyeliner pencil in smudge grey
-Estee Lauder eyeshadow (ivory box highlighter and sugar cube for majority)
-Urban Decay Primer Potion
-Avon Eye Brightener

Nails: Orly Gorgeous, Cover Girl City Lights

What do you think? I love it.

Happy Nails

2010-01-08T18:12:00.002-05:00

How is this?

It is one of my new Orlys "Gorgeous" Three Coats with a Coat of Cover Girl City Lights and a top coat of Orly in a Snap.

They make me happy, how about you?

To me they look like Barbie nails and are exactly what I needed.

*Sigh*

Nails don't relieve the drama, but they sure do create a nice diversion, don't they?

Killing Depression Part One

2010-01-08T15:35:00.003-05:00

I attempted these nails today to break this green streak of nails and blue streak of depression. I tried to cheer myself up a little with this bright neon purple, but by the end of the day it has almost all chipped away.

The color is Flying Dragon from China Glaze, covered with Seche Vita, but now it looks like ripped wallpaper on my nails.

The application went well, easily controlled, and it feels very light on my nails compared to what I have been wearing, which I didn't realize was heavy.

It does need the top coat because the neon comes out matter than matter, and not as bright without it. However the Seche Vita peeled off this morning, followed by the flying dragon quickly chipping behind.

Now I am stock with one ok hand and one that looks embarrassing.

I will try another shade tonight once I get home from my birthday dinner.

Would this cheer you up?

Depression

2010-01-08T13:48:00.001-05:00

Enough with the green... what color would you wear if you were uber-depressed?

Warning: More Green

2010-01-07T15:55:00.004-05:00

Fair warning on this one...either I don't like it or I'm not in the mood for it, so it is coming off. Therefore, I didn't clean up.

Still, I wanted to share it with you in case you are a fan or want to see what I mean by gloopy. I feel like this is a little more blue but looks kind of like Veruschka with a glossy finish. It looks like blue spruce not as green as it photographs.

It also reminds be of BF's 1998 Grand Prix---that blue green 90s color. I feel like I could make it work. It is a nice color, but I'm just not feeling it.

The formula reminds me a lot of Tangy, a little goopy, a little sloppy, and messier than the Zoyas I have liked so far.

Meanwhile, Level 1 snow emergency outside. Nothing left to do but nails!

Irene

2010-01-06T19:18:00.003-05:00

All right, so Irene started the day as my second favorite to Envy, but as the day went on, I loved it more and more and I think I can confidently say they are now tied. I wouldn't put one over the other, because it would be like apples and oranges, or in this case Ireland vs. magic. You cannot choose one over the other.

Everytime I looked down at this I was reminded of Ireland. I thought first that it was like chic army green, which I would still say could be true, but the more I loved it, the more I wondered why, and then poof! Ireland. Irene. Ireland. Aaah! I get it.

Its a beautiful/satin metallic kelly green golor that would look great with Notre Dame green uniforms.

The application was smooth. It cleaned up well, and I am definitely putting this in the favorites pile.

Verdicts so far:

Envy=yes

Tangy= no

Irene= yes. Definitely a St. Patty's green.

What do you think

Tangy Slime?

2010-01-05T18:38:00.002-05:00

The second green is another Zoya, and if I could dislike a color as much as I liked Envy, this would be it.

Tangy is a holometallic that flashes orange, and is nice and citrusy. I found it went on a little goopier and took a little bit longer to dry than Envy.

I did get lots of compliments on it today at work though. People said the enjoyed it, called it flashy, and my one friend called it dragon scale-esque, which made me like it a little more.

I guess all greens cannot be the same, and if they were I wouldn't want them, but this one just reminded me of Ghostbusters slime, or like I dipped my fingers in that ooze from Roger Rabbit or the toxic waste from Ninja Turtles...

What do you think?

Let the Green Begin

2010-01-03T09:47:00.003-05:00

I've decided to do just green nails until my birthday (Jan.11) because green is my favorite color, and I have a lot of fun greens to try.

First up is Zoya Envy -- one of my Xmas gifts from Zoya's black friday sale. This is a beautiful color. The BF said it is black, but it is an obvious green. Black green creme is the best descriptor. I used Brutus as a backdrop because his orange/ginger fur brings out the green. There is even a few shimmers, very sparsely spread throughout the polish.

The first coat is streaky, weird and looks disappointing, but with the second coat beauty appears and perfection is achieved. It's a bit messy and harder to control than I would like, but it doesn't look too bad without cleanup.

This one is a go if you like darker colors and near-black shades. I'm sure in certain lights it shows more green, but I am happy with the way it is.

What are your favorite green shades? I'll let you know mine after the Bday.

O-H I-O

2010-01-01T10:36:00.004-05:00

Go Bucks!

Combination: $OPI Queen of Everything and China Glaze Ruby Pumps.

For the Oregon Ducks mani, check out: Lambchop Mobile

Yay! Rosebowl

FOTW

2010-01-01T01:00:00.003-05:00

I am going to bed very happy tonight! Thanks to everyone who has made this year special.

New Year's Resolutions

1. Take more pride in my appearance
2. Do what I love
3 Don't sweat the small stuff.

Here are some Faces of The Week with my new makeup hauls. Both looks were with Estee Lauder everything from the holiday blockbuster + Urban Decay Skyscraper mascara and Zero 24/7 eyeliner.

I have a new foundation since thes picks-- if anybody is looking for very light but even coverage that makes your skin look great but like your own, I suggest Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous; It's amazing and perfect because I don't feel too made up, and you can still see my freckles but not any imperfections.

Girly Grit

2009-12-31T09:24:00.002-05:00

I am departing from the norm, or the expected for my New Year's Eve Nails, by doing something that best describes me, instead of over the top sparkle and confetti.

On top of brand new skates, which I just loved yesterday, I placed some zen flower stickers, that add an element of hippy and natural girl to the glam and grit of BNS. The combination wowed me.

I L-O-V-E it, and I cannot thank my friend Nakesha enough for sharing the stickers. I got a fun 10 minutes of play, and I fell in love with the results. I am all for switching my nails up every day, but if this would stay on a month I would keep it.

I placed the stickers randomly over top, waited for them to adhere and become polish-like and then went over it with about three top coats just to make sure.

The result was a textured and pretty mani that makes me happy, and because that is the whole point, I am keeping it.

And just for fun, here is what Nakesha brilliantly did with her share. She placed a mix of colors over a french, and it created a classic, flowery and fun look that perfectly fits her as well. Great Job and Great Find!!

I wish you all a Happy New Year, I know mine will be filled with tons of excitement, including th best Halloween wedding ever and lots of time with the ones who matter, less worrying about the ones who do not, and more time making myself pleased.

New Book, New Nails

2009-12-30T13:30:00.002-05:00

After finishing the last book, I reached for something a little more gritty. Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge, "A Black London Novel," which takes place on the gritty, grey streets of London, and in the seedy supernatural Black.

To match the dreary, yet magical cover, I reached for another of my new OPI shade: Brand New Skates. I actually first reached for this to do a metallic medley nail for NYE, but when I saw how gorgeously grey and gunmetal it turned out, I decided I wouldn't dare cover it up.

I expected this to be a shiny, glittery silver, but instead it was very grey and sheer. It took four coats to get opaque, and I can still see some nail leaking out.

Application, though was beautiful, I didn't clean up and you can see I didn't do half bad.

In short, though, I would say don't shrug this color of as Christmas or girly even. This is gritty, gunmetal pewter, and I'm lovin' it.

What do you think?

Book-Inspired Mani

2009-12-29T17:29:00.002-05:00

I just got done reading a great book about selkies, kelpies, vampires and all kinds of fun stuff. But I was so inspired by the cover, I though I would try my new OPI INK to celebrate.

This is a shade I think would look great matte, but it's meant to be shiny. It looks just like the ink in a ballpoint pin if it leaks or explodes. It's a beautiful mixture of blue, black, and purple. Everyone at work said it looks just like the real thing.

What do you think? I know it's hard to photograph, but trust me it's beautiful just like the book, which is called Tempest Rising if anyone is interested.

Football nails

2009-12-27T20:21:00.002-05:00

So Christmas is over, and tomorrow means back to work, and next week means fun New Year's manis, but for today, I wanted to show off a little Bengals pride, as the team I grew up with won out the AFC North division. Go Bengals!

For this I used On the Same Paige from OPI and my trusty Rimmel Lycra Wear Black Satin, which I love more everytime I use it even though it started out rough. The OPI applied beautifully. Two coats to opaque. I could have gone with one, but used the second to even it out.

I first tried to do something akin to tiger stripes, FAIL, and then I tried a single stripe effect, FAIL and decided on this. I used Orly In a snap over top, and it was amazing. It dried every thing fast, and more importantly made it all even, so I couldn't tell the black was an additional layer. It's not my best work, but at least I tried something new, and I wanted to show it off, before tomorrow.

I have soooooooooo many new nail polishes with Christmas hauls, I will have enough to keep me going. (at least until Absolutely Alice comes out next month!)

Amazzzing

2009-12-24T08:00:00.005-05:00

So I stopped by Sally's and picked up Ruby Pumps and Emerald Sparkle to do a Christmas mani. And here it is.

It's everything you've heard it was if you don't have it. It's the perfect Christmas green for the perfect Christmas red, and the formula hides a multitude of sins.

I still cannot do a lot of the amazing things I see on the other blogs, so I alternated nails again, and I am happy with the Christmas cheer that I got.

Thank you all for being so supportive as I started this journey. This blog, family and friends have made this year bearable. I appreciate everything.

Update: I just saw Brooke has an alternating nail mani for Christmas too on Getcha Nails Did. Hers is amazinger than mine, and now I am convinced this was the way to go

Mint Candy Christmas

2009-12-23T20:38:00.003-05:00

So... many of you know I won Mint Candy Apple from a giveaway at Naive Nails. Here are the results.

There was just something about this polish I loved. I think a lot of it had to do with the cream composition. I think I love creams because a lot of the nail polishes I had when I was young were not creams, and I find them fascinating.

I found that I loved the color, but it really reminded me of Easter, or Wint O Green Tic Tacs. The BF hated this one. He said it looked like green Pepto Bismol, so remind me not to wear a pink creme polish in his presence.

MCA applied like a dream, smooth controlled and ample coverage. The first time I put it on, I attempted to make it more Christmasy with Ulta Gold Digger, and the results were nice but not durable. I only have this one pic, so sorry for the messy nails, but it all gooped off soon after this.

So, I redid it in the morning with just two coats of MCA alone, and loved it throughout the day, I even opted for two days of wear, even though I have tons of other polishes yearning to be played with.

On top of that, I made a trip to Sally Beauty for my first two China Glazes, Ruby Pumps and Emerald Sparkle for Christmas, and it is well worth it. More on those tomorrow....

For now, here's one final shot (low light) of how I wore MCA for the past two days, very cute with my Winter white Anne Klein coat!

O Holy Night

2009-12-22T20:34:00.003-05:00

These were my nails Sunday for the first of many many family Christmases.

I started with Yoga-ta get this blue, which came out deep, rich and soulful and much darker than I thought, but beautiful. When I put it on, I said the only way I could possibly review it is to tell everyone they need to get it, if they don't already.

And then I added my Utal Gold Digger, in two coats on top-- I love the combination, it looks like a night sky.

It immediately went to my love list, and I would have kept it on if 1. I hadn't chipped my polish on my index finger (not the polishes fault) and 2. I didn't have so many more amazing colors to try. Case and point: I put Mint Candy Apple on yesterday, and I fought my self so much to take it off today, that I decided to leave it on. (pictures of that later)

Fun With Color

2009-12-21T20:33:00.003-05:00

I am loving all my new toys, and the polishes are totally working as therapy. I love it.

This weekend I played with my bright OPIs, including GreenWich, Teal the Cows come Home and On the Same Paige. I alternated on my toes, and now everytime I look down, they make me happy-- I cannot wait til brighter days to try this on my fingers!Sorry for the ultra blurriness, I got a bit of vertigo looking down from 5'3"

I also played around this weekend with Yoga To Get this Blue, which I love, and today I got my winner's package from Naive Nails and immediately tried on Mint Candy Apple, which I have to admit is awesome. I also have been using my Utla Gold Digger to holidify everything.

I have swatched some, but I am trying to let it build up some, so for now all you get are my ugly toes! ha!

Holiday Haul

2009-12-19T09:51:00.002-05:00

It seems like just a month ago that I had just three nail polishes, and they were boring. Really, it was a month ago, so that is likely why. Now, I am amzingly up to 40! Largely thanks to my wonderful friends, boyfriend and mother, with a little help of my own from Sally Hansen Grab Bags.

It's been so fun to see what colors have made them think of me, and they were right on!

Here's what's come in in the last two days:

First haul was an early gift from the BF via Sally Hansen Grab Bags that worked out great this time! Just one double!

Spicy Scarlet, Azalea, Violet Kiss

Beet Stain, Gloss Peach, Pink Twice

Liberated Lilac, Pale Pink Opal, Iris

Then, on Friday night we had Christmas with my bestest bestest friends from my days as a waitress and now many years beyond. From my two best friends, I hauled 7 OPI colors and an OPI start to finish clear, along with some OPI remover, lots of nail tools and Bath and Body Works! Best Present EVA!

Green-wich Village, On the Same Paige, Teal the Cows Come Home

Brand New Skates, Catherine the Grape, Yoga-ta Get this Blue!, OPI Ink

And then the clears: I got two more Double Duty polishes, and two of Natural Shine Instant Nail Finish and OPI from Start to finish.

What do you think?

Silver and Gold

2009-12-19T09:11:00.001-05:00

Well, the 10-day challenge is over. Finally! It really only lasted a few days, but the 10-day color was amazing, it just bonded to my nails. I am the one who ruined it, and I got bored. And, I had four straight Christmas parties and couldn't quite go with Wineberry for the festivities.

So first, I tried this Creative Nail Design Silver Anniversary, which I got at Ulta for $2 on clearance. I thought it would give me a chance to keep the wineberry, but nah!

Just in case though, I bought Ulta Gold Digger for $5, and did this silver and gold mani, alternating nails in silver and gold.

It only took two coats of the silver for complete opaque, and it came out nice and shimmery. The funny thing is, after sleeping the night I put this on, the sheet wear made it look like tin foil, and it was really cool and looked like silverleaf nails, but stayed super glittery.

The gold digger surprised me. It took four coats for opaque, and I realized as I was appyling it that it would be great for layering, but not so much on its own. After sleep however, it looked amazing. It held up to the sheets despite the number of layers and showed no markage whatsoever.

It feels so good to blog again. The Christmas season is taking its toll, and work is getting worse. I know I am not happy, but I can feel that this helps, so I am pretty excited about that.

On a bright note, the holiday hauls are starting to come in, so I will post so pics later today. I hope you'll be as thrilled with them as I am. I thought about swatching them all in one day, but I decided I would much rather follow my original mission with a new color and a new experience every day. But, you'll at least get a sneak peek soon!

Grandma-approved shades

2009-12-14T18:03:00.000-05:00

So.... We meet again. Sorry for the long delay in posting, but from jaw injury to a cold, and a black-tie event to a day off work.

But I've only worn two shades since then so you haven't missed much.

Both shades were work-friendly/grandma-approved shades. The first: Pink Suede by Petites was conveniently swatched over at Naive Nails, so if you'd like to see it head over here, she did a great job with it, and I was not feeling up to swatching it while I had it on. I agree with everything GildedAngel says about, and was not brave or patient enough to try it again.

But here is the bottle:And here it is on the right.

On the left is Wineberry (...read on)

I am also taking a 10-day challenge, though I don't know how long that will last. With another prescription came another Sally Hansen grab bag, but I was not at all happy with this haul. However, at 25 percent off this week, ($3.35) three polishes and another dose of double duty was worth it, and ultimately will benefit y'all in a giveaway form. One is the same as another that I already have and the other is Sally Hansen Forsythia, a Tracy Reese Color from spring, but not one I can pull off unfortunately.

But I did get one Sally Hansen No Chip 10 Day Nail Color in Wineberry --a work safe color -- that I am wearing now. And it's everything I was hoping Pink Suede would be.

Wineberry is a mauvy mauve mauve. It reminds me of the interior of my parents old conversion van I had when I was little. But it is kind of nice. It has enough color, and unlike Pink Suede, goes on almost opaque in one coat. I went ahead and did two coats and a top coat, and I had nice results with little cleanup. The application was like a dream, and it feels solid and durable on my nails.

However, I went to SH's Web site today hoping to find some other colors in the same formula, but it was B-O-R-I-N-G. ALL Work Safe and Grandma-approved, but if you know a grandmother looking for some durable polish, this is it.

Like I said, I don't know if I will keep it on for all 10 days, because Christmas is coming soon, and I cannot be boring forever. But let me know what you think...

Do you have favorite grandma-approved colors?

Change of Plans Mani

2009-12-09T21:29:00.000-05:00

So the orange dress is not going to work out :-(

It is still cute as a button, but an executive decision was made that there was a bit too much of the girls showing for a business function, and I've changed my mind to prevent too many men in tuxedos ignoring my eyes.

Instead, I am wearing a formal black dress, and in response, I had to change my nails. Here is the result.

I did Poppy Love in two coats followed by a stripe of Rimmel Black Satin. My intention was not to create tips, because my nails are currently too too short for that effect, but I like how the horizontal stripes came out.If I had any ultra glitters, tomorrow would be the night. I am officially adding a silver sparkle and a gold sparkle to my lemming list. Any suggestions? I am feeling the new Sephora OPI gold for Xmas, but I don't know quite where to turn.

The only thing I really don't like about this mani is that it definitely comes off tomorrow night, while a work safe color will be going on. (Not to say I won't be wearing this or countless other rockin' manis to work) But Friday is a big day requiring boring nails, but the existence of color to show personality.

The color I picked up (My mom picked it up actually) is called Pink Suede.

I will share soon, but likely not for a couple days, because Thursday will be an all-dayer.

Sunset Prisms

2009-12-08T17:20:00.000-05:00

(Just put this on so ignore the mess, it will be clean I promise, but they just got dry enough to type)

I know it seems odd at this time of year to be sporting a color called Sunset Prisms (Maybelline Express Finish 330) but I have a black-tie event coming up at work Thursday and wanted to test it out for a dress I am going to be wearing. This is one of the few colors I found in my bathroom closet. I don't know quite where it came from or what I wore it with last time. But I am glad I found it.

This is about three to four coats. I am not sure because I just kept going. It dries super fast but not fast enough to ruin it so I just did one hand then another, went back to the first, and I continued the cycle.

I am happy with how it came out-- a corally orange color with a lot of shine. In fact, I was thinking about adding a top coat, but I don't think I need to with this one.

The Dress:

I think this will go nicely with the dress, but I'll let you know. I think it's a pretty cool color.

Have you seen anything like it? Seriously, If you have, I would like to know because I think it would be cool in a creme color.

Clear Polish---Quick Question

2009-12-08T11:31:00.000-05:00

If anyone is paying attention this morning, I am on the hunt for a friend looking for the best clear nail polish to wear on its own. She is finding that base coats and top coats alone are not thick enough and chip or wear on their own. All I have is that SH Double Duty I picked up the other day, so I am going to experiment with that for her, but I am interested in hearing all your suggestions.

Does anyone else have this problem with clear?

Do you wear clear polish?

What's the best clear polish?

Personally, I don't know why you'd ever go clear!

Lay It on Me!

2009-12-07T19:36:00.000-05:00

I got the most wonderful surprise today at work. One of my favorite people there gave me to contributions to my blog and my journey. And, there's nothing like new polish to make a Monday better.

The two polishes are called Lay It on Me! and they do not have name colors, but they do have a note on them each to not shake and to leave the bottles alone except for dipping, brushing and polishing. The idea is that the combination of three or more colors wil combine in a unique way on the brush and create a unique nail on the nail.

I've seen these before and never had the guts to pick them up, so I was so excited to receive them this morning. The OCD in me wants so badly to mix them up so they are one even color, but after testing the polishes on my lunch break, (over the white polish which was well ready to come off) I am glad I didn't because they were awesome.

The polish itself was a nice weight and easy to control, though the first layer was streaky. Though it was easily evened out and pretty by the second coat. It's disappointing because if you get a neat tie-dye look you have to cover it up.

Alone, the polishes create a creamy/candy coating finish, which makes them look like M&Ms and is very cool, but I found that with a clear coat on one and two on the other, the colors are brought out more.

The first bottle I tried had layers of purple black and a mint/aquamarine green. I had no idea what would come out, but it happened to be a lovely purple-brown that reminded me of the cherry tobacco color floating around, but without the sparkles and more grape tobacco or a cigar box. It actually is very cool.

The other shade in the bottle was a teal, blue, pink sparkle red and bright pink, and it came out on the fingers like an ocean. I would almost describe it as a duochrome without the chrome. It combined all my favorite colors on the nail, and was extremely hard to photograph, but reminded my of my favorite blanket, which my mom made me to remind me of stormy weather (my favorite!)

So, have you seen these? Have you had the guts?

White Wedding

2009-12-05T12:11:00.000-05:00

Today, I am heading out to my fiance's father's third wedding-- a casual affair in his living room, so I decided to go with my new white, Snow Me White (Sinful Colors) for the event.

It's a creamy fluid formula that goes on like wet paint is just about as controllable, but I think I am just about ok with it, after three coats and a lot of cleanup (it could still use some).

But with the wedding comes the gifting of my old faithful camera to his dad and with it (hopefully with practice) the blurry pics.

These are with the new camera, and as a bonus: The first pics of my baby Izzy with the new camera. (oh Ya, and the BF too)

Back to snow me white-- I definitely was not going to recommend it, but after a lot of hard work, I think it makes for an interesting all-white mani, which is definitely something unique and worth the $1.88. But if you want it for design or for tips, I wouldn't go there even on the cheap.

Love at first Poppy

2009-12-03T18:45:00.000-05:00

So the lesson today is don't judge by first impressions. If red were a hot pink, this would be it. It's bold, it's flashy, it's lit from within, and best of all, it's not too dark or too "plastic" for my skin tone.

If you read the previous post, you know I picked up Sally Hansen Salon Nail Lacquer in Poppy Love from a grab bag with three SH polishes for $5. I immediately was unhappy, but after slathering this on tonight, I love it.

Please excuse the messy nails, they aren't clean yet and won't be until tomorrow (But i didn't want to risk sheet marks as I am about to crash for the night). And the background is our Halloween homemade beer pong table, not a murder scene. But I had to share. This is a beautiful color and "poppy" is right on it doesn't look like the poppies hanging in my living room, but the shade is right on with the poppies in Wizard of Oz Technicolor. The best way I could honestly think to describe it is "If red were a hot pink..." Even though the color is not pink at all. It just has the same fun, brightness and glow that a hot pink would have.

If you have the chance to pick this up somewhere, it comes highly recommended. And, I did use the new base and top coat on this SH Double Duty.

Hurt Jaw Haul

2009-12-03T13:09:00.001-05:00

One good thing to come out of a hurt jaw, was this new nail haul-- bringing the total to 9 polishes, though I don't know how happy I am with these. If you have any please let me know.

I went to Meijer Pharmacy to get my scrip filled, and they have a deal wherein if you use the pharmacy and have the right coupon, you get $20 of any purchase (it can even be $20) of health care, beauty of groceries. Because this is the second time this week I've been to the pharmacy, and I am already overloaded on food from the last trip +weekly groceries, I decided to treat myself to some cheering up.

First, I picked out four new Sinful Colors, but I backtracked when I saw Sally Hansen's holiday "Nail Glam Salon" with "5 Amazing Nail Essentials" for $4.99. Fearing not having a white, I bought one Sinful Colors (Snow Me White) and decided it would be fun to do a grab bag.

The kit promised three random nail colors, a nail treatment and a manicure tool. Oddly enough, I was just hoping for a file, so I was happy there. And I am lacking a top or a base coat at the moment, so I was thrilled with getting Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening base and top coat, though I don't yet know how it works.

The three random polishes that came were:

1.) Sally Hansen Star Opal Nail Glaze in Violet Opal-- I had a fire opal one in years past that I liked, but this one seems a bit sheer and tame for me;

2.) Sally Hansen Salon Nail Lacquer in Sheer Pressure, which seems to be a pearl sheer; and

3.) Sally Hansen Salon Nail Lacquer in Poppy Love for the third. Now, first off, I am not a huge fan of reds, but if I find the right one(s) I will rock it. I love poppies so we will see on this one.

I am still not feeling well, and it drives a reporter (at least this one) crazy when she cannot talk. (I've been ordered off the verbal word for 2 days). But, I wanted to share the haul.

I will begin swatches tomorrow if I feel up to it tonight, but for now, do y'all think this was worth $5? Will you be hunting it?

Don't Smile Too Hard

2009-12-02T10:59:00.001-05:00

So, even though I felt like I got punched in the jaw yesterday, I was very much over the black and had to do something, during my half hour of consciousness to make it better...

The solution, Nail Junkie by Sinful Colors-- I know, I know, I used this one before, but over black it was like a brand new color.Over black, the blue sparkle in a blue-tinted clear coat, came out green and gold. It's harder to see in the second pick, but it looks very festive. Almost Christmasy. It hurts to smile, and even moreso yesterday, but the combination brought a grin to my mind if not my face.

I've reviewed both formulas before, so I guess the lesson here is to try your sparkles over new colors, because here a fun blue bubble-gum color came out dark green and gold and worked for a change of pace on hump day.

What do you think?

What's your favorite glitter to play with?

PS: I will need to work with what I've got for the next 23 days. I went to order my Zoya green friday haul and was told by my mother not to, which means I know one thing I am getting for Christmas, but it also means unless I decide to buy myself some presents, it is unlikely you will just be seeing new combinations and some swatches of new makeup until then.

Black Tuesday

2009-12-01T17:27:00.000-05:00

It's not been the best of days. I ended up leaving work early because of jaw pain-- don't ask me how that happened. It popped a couple days ago and now it hurts. Anyway, I wanted to update you because I never did put up a swatch of the clearance black alone-- and since that's what I have on currently, I thought I would share.

As I said earlier I am not that impressed with the formula on the LycraWear Black Satin. It shows bald spots, is hard to control and pretty streaky. The pic shows two coats, and they've worn down substantially since I applied Monday. Still, I got some compliments on it throughout the day.

Would I buy it again? Probably not, but it worked in a pinch and will work as a base coat under some cooler colors, such as I Love You by Sinful Colors. But in the meantime I will continue a hunt for a good one-coat black that works better.

Any suggestions?

I Love You Not

2009-11-28T12:20:00.001-05:00

This was probably one of the most difficult colors (of the now 6 I have) that I could get to work with me. Sinful Colors I love You is a purple glitter in a clear base. I tried it by itself. I tried it over my Avon Grey. I tried it over my favorite blue, and nothing looked right. Most looked pretty messy and juvenile. I finally, though, found a solution. Thanks to Black Friday and The Cincinnati BearCats game.

In the midst of buying toys at Meijer for the millions of little relatives (ok- three) that I need to buy for this year, I made my brother make a detour to the nail polish, where I found Rimmel LycraWear on Clearance. I picked up a black satin that I could quickly use to make my nails black for UC spirit. (the all black nails worked well, but I don't like the Lycra Wear as much as I used to.) Then, this morning, frustrated with crappy manis for the last four days, I decided to try I Love You again, this time over the black. And it actually worked.

What do you think?

Camera update: ( I got the new one, but I am still missing a memory card, because I thought it would take the same as I have now because it is just a newer version of the same camera... So, in short, pictures will be better soon.)

A Very Beauty Bounty

2009-11-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

So I am still loving the blue nails, but I promise to swap out later tonight and show you No.5 aka I Love You from Sinful Colors. I am thinking of doing it over a *gasp* Avon color I already had on hand.

In the meantime, I thought I would share the results from my beauty hauls that I got my two best friends for the holidays this year. Maybe you could get some good gift ideas from it, who knows?

First of all, I picked up these adorable Chinese takeout gift boxes at Target for $1 each. Inside, they are jam packed with some of the coolest new and old products I have become fascinated with as I have started this journey.

There are 12 products in each gift box. So maybe I went a little overboard, but I thought they'd get a kick out of it. It will be like having a dress up party for grown ups.

1. Glazewear Lip Shine from Avon in diamonds, a nice sparkly clear coat for on top of their favorite lip colors.

2. Zoya's new Hot Lips lip balm in Starlet and Babydoll. For myself, I got Purr. This is a really nice formula, and I got them all for free during a promotion last week. Now, they are $6, but very worth it, especially if you plan on stocking up on polish already this Friday.

3. Stila Lip Glaze. Sephora has a three-piece set for $8 if you are a beauty insider, and I split it up with one for each girl + my own. The formula is very nice, though a little sticky, but the flavor literally makes me want to eat my lips. Each color smells exactly like its namesake, so it is definitely worth a try.

4. Benefit Lust Dusters, also on sale right now at Sephora for three colors for $10. I got both sets of three, gave one color from each set to the girls, and kept one for myself. These little pots are filled with glitter that give a nice highlight around the eyes, cheeks and face. They make you like like a fairy, and I love it.

5. Also from Avon, I bought Glimmersticks Eyeliner in green and blue, giving one girl blue and the other green. I fail majorly at eyeliner, so I cannot vouch, but they were affordable for the kits and offered a fun splash of color.

6. Forever 21 introduced a new beauty line this month called Love and Beauty, and I was quick to pick up the only mascara in the box, a colored mascara I bought in Jade and Blue, both were around $3.80 and made a good match for the glimmersticks eyeliner I bought them each from Avon.

7. Also from the Love and Beauty Line, the next two products in the pic are eyeshadow duos from the collection. For less than $3 each, they are worth a try, though I did not pick up any for myself, so I cannot give my stamp of approval yet.

8. At the top of the pic is a product I picked up from a quick trip to Sephora before a movie last weekend as a splurge. The beauty store has these nail patches on clearance right now for $5 each. There are 14 pieces, which is only enough for one application, though they supposedly last for 11 days. I picked up this dark red, a baby pink and a sparkly black for myself. Unfortunately, I took a hot shower not too long after application, and a few came off. The ones that stayed on though looked really nice, about the equivelant of four layers and a top coat of polish.

They are easy and fun to put on, but not worth $5 for a mani, but they will make a fun addition to the kits.

9. My absolute favorite item in the kit was also the most expensive. Urban Decay's pocket rocket lip gloss. It retails for $19, but I got it from urbandecay.com with a coupon that brought it to $13. They come in colors named after men, have a holographic pic of a male (clothed and in underwear ... front and back views) and a strip of pheramones to rub to "attract the opposite sex." There is a lot of product in the tubes, and the colors come out very nice on the lips. But most of all, I think the smiles on my friends' faces will make this splurge worth it.

10. The last product in the kit is Change Artist Nail Polish from Avon, on clearance for less than $3. The colored polish is on one end. It's not the best formula, and does not wear well on its own, but when you add the polish on the other end, it changes colors, and then a top coat finishes it off niceley. I got my friends lavender and teal, and I kept a steel grey for myself.

Amazing Zoya News for Black Friday!

2009-11-24T14:52:00.000-05:00

Or should I say Green Friday? If you haven't seen the link to the right, Zoya is offering 6 free green polishes this Friday with the purchase of $20 or more .

Needless to say I have never had a Zoya polish, but have been following swatches for a while. I ordered the company's Hot Lips, glossy lip balm, when they had 3 for free for my best friends' makeup gift bags (blog post on those treats later).

I am super excited about the prospect of adding at least six more greens to my collection, but I am wondering if you all have favorites in other shade I should pick up through the order. Let me know, and follow back to see me journey through the shades you suggest + 6 greens.

Nail Junkie swatch over Pixel Pretty= easy Monday

2009-11-23T16:16:00.000-05:00

Nail Polish No. 4 was Sinful Colors Nail Junkie. I picked it up at Walgreens this weekend during the store's buy-one-get-one sale, making it only $1. I chose it because I though it would make an easy mod to the Pixel Pretty mani posted yesterday.

The formula was surprisingly not terrible for an inexpensive bottle, and there were plenty of sparkles per spread. The only complaint I have is that the layers of Nail Junkie took away from that awesome LCD color in Sally Hansen HD- I am starting to forget what that even looked like.

Still, as I sit here typing and looking forward to 5 p.m. I can honestly say the day went smoothly and these sparkley ocean blue-green nails tip-tapping on the keyboard have made me smile more than once!

Welcome to all the new readers, and thanks to Brooke for the shout out!

The shade of inspiration

2009-11-22T12:34:00.001-05:00

To preface this post, I am getting a new camera in T-minus five days, but I did not want to put of my decision to get happy any longer. So, I wanted to share with you the shade that made me decide to make this journey public. I could have gotten happy all on my own, but when I saw this shade on nail, I couldn't help but think "Hey, I might not be as good as my nail idols, VV and Brooke, but from what I've read of them, I think they would encourage me to give it a shot." It is their blogs, after all that helped me to reach my life-changing epiphany.

The shade is Pixel Pretty, by Sally Hansen in her HD polish line and it lights up the room. It signifies everything I wanted to gain from this journey, and what shades I wanted to take along with me. After a perfectly horrendous week at work, I decided one polish would be the beginning, bringing my grand total up to 3 polishes I own, and this was lucky No. 3.

Pixel Pretty is a delightful blue-green that has an alien quality about it, leading me to feel like a fun person again. It's shiny and went on smoothly, and the BF said it was unique, which is what I'm going for.

This took three coats, but it would have been fine with two. I had a dog smudge from a small Shih-Tzu, which was the only reason I did three.

It was a little loose in its formulation from what I was used to using a decade ago, but that could be me just getting loose to the game again. It did, however, go on smoothly and immediately shiny-- no top coat needed!

What's the deal?

2009-11-22T12:18:00.000-05:00

To introduce myself: I am Mary Beth. I am a struggling reporter, jaded by the industry, unhappy with my writing and generally worried and anxious. About a week ago, I decided to get happy. It's not necessarily that easy, but I took a journey through my memories to a time when I was happy with my hobbies. When I was 14, I started making my own web sites. I was addicted to the Internet, and I loved to create. Also when I was 14, I collected amazing nail polish colors, designed my own mixes and created looks that told the world I was unique!

Now, I've seen the nail polish blogs, and I love the work they do-- clean lines, beautiful nails and wonderful work. I'll be straight up with you-- I am not that good. I don't have a steady hand, and I could never have been a surgeon. In fact, despite my high IQ, and genius-level test scores, the aptitude tests told me I would best be suited as a Christmas Tree farmer. I guess in the real world that translates to reporter, so here I am.

What I do know is that nail polish makes me happy. Nail polish is one-size-fits-all. With a swipe of a color you can tell the world, you're not one of the everyday folks. I enjoy color, and I enjoy sparkle, and deal with it because that's who I am.

After years in the corporate reporting world, without *gasp* any color to show for it, I decided to say screw the suits, the plain nails, the no makeup, the ponytails and plain face. I decided to emerge from the shadows and say take it or leave it to the male reporters, editors and publishers who control the specific type of reporting I do.

The trick is now to do it. I've decided to be happy, and from a recent episode of Monk, I realized happiness is a choice. (Thank you Lt. Disher). I just don't necessarily have the skills to do it. So on this blog you will see my journey into happiness, and I am happy to share. Chances are you'll see nails that are a little messy, lips gloss that's not perfectly refined, and eyeshadow that -- well, you probably have some tips to share with me about, but I am committed to making it happen and sharing it with you, whoever you are along the way.

I've asked all my friends, family and trusted co-workers to help. As it's near the holidays, I've asked for nail polish and beauty essentials from everyone so I can rebuild the collection I threw away when I decided to be stiff. As I pull in my hauls, I invite you to join me in my journey into happiness.