I'm not a dominatrix...

...but if I were, this is the mani I would rock at all times:

 

I ask you, how effing awesome is this?  It's a slapdash mess, I know, but don't you judge me, Earl.  It's China Glaze Lubu Heels tipped with Essie Forever Yummy.  I cannot tell you how much I love this.  I kind of threw it together out of boredom and curiosity and MAN...it's awesome!  Next time I have a date (which should be sometime in 2015, if my romantic history is any indication), I am doing this mofo, and I'm doing it RIGHT.  It is the sex.  I'm sorry.  It just is.


Here, check out Lubu Heels on its own:

If you need to go have a cigarette now, I'll understand.

Mannequin Hands

I may have missed the boat on this one.  I usually am a bit behind when it comes to trends and technology, but that doesn't stop me from trying to catch up just as quickly as I can!

As best I can tell, mannequin hands were on trend a couple of years ago.  The goal is to find a nude shade as close to your natural skintone as possible so that the finished manicure gives you what look like...mannequin hands!  The color quest is not unlike trying to find just the right foundation.  I think I came close here, but I'm not totally convinced that this is my perfect match.

 This is Essie Sandy Beach.  It's probably a good three coats to achieve opacity.  I also topped it with Essie Matte About You.  Mattifying the color REALLY contributes to the mannequin look. 


I tell ya, I have a lot of fun with the out there colors, but this color really made me feel very put-together and professional.  It's a very clean look.  I love it! 

 What do you think?  Is it dated?  Is it timeless? 

I've got the blues, so bad, uh huh.

I was fortunate enough to be one of the lucky folks to get a free bottle of Essie "One Day Without Blues" courtesy of Essie and TOMS shoes, as part of the recent "One Day Without Shoes" drive to draw attention to the less fortunate around the world.

I've seen a few reviews around of this lovely cornflower blue, and apparently it's the exact same thing as Essie "Coat d'Azure," so don't freak out of if you didn't get it.

It struck me, though, as very similar to a certain Zoya I have, Jo.  So, in trying to cram gardening AND swatching into the waning daylight this afternoon, I hastily slapped on a couple of coats of Jo next to my (terrible) Essie ODWB mani for your comparing pleasure.

 

That's Essie on the left, and Zoya on the right.  Excuse the pseudo-baldspots on the Zoya; that should give you some indication of how much more sheer it tends to be than the Essie.  Jo is much more shimmery, too.  ODWB is almost a total creme, if it weren't for the faintest hint of shimmer.  You can really see a shimmer in the bottle, and a slight flash of purple, but this effect is greatly reduced on the nail...you probably can't even see it in the picture.  Long story short, these are definitely not dupes, and I can never have enough cornflower blues!

Weekend Haul!

I recently discovered that my friend Kristy shares my lacquer obsession, so of course we HAD to make a run to Ulta together.  She'd never been, and as predicted, her jaw hit the floor.

Wanna see what I got?  Of course you do!

Essence What Do U Think and Choose Me.  Love these little bottles!

Essie Sandy Beach and Ulta After Party

Piggy Polish You're Blue-tiful

OPI Houston We Have a Purple, ORLY Galaxy Girl, China Glaze Foxy

I only had two goals in going:  Essie Matte About You and a dotting tool.  Turns out, they don't carry much in the way of art supplies (that's okay since Sally does), but I DID grab the Essie matte coat (not pictured).  I was really pleased, though, to get a little bit of something from lots of different brands, including some I hadn't tried yet.  I'm also excited about Essie Sandy Beach.  I'm hoping it will be my mannequin hand color.

To wrap up the day, Kristy and I chose which manicure we would each do first from our selection.  Here's what she chose, and I LOVED it!

This is an OPI Houston We Have a Purple matte/shiny French.  I'd have to say that this color isn't really very purple, but it IS gorgeous.  It's is my first jelly finish, and I can already tell I'm a fan.  (Although it dried with LOTS of bubbles...is this common?)  I can also already tell that I'm gonna have lots of fun playing with the matte finish.  I've said before that I'm not totally on the matte train, but it DOES make for a really fun accent.

Quickie: Free Essie

Here's a quickie that may add a little extra yippee to your Friday...Essie is apparently partnering with TOMS as part of their "One Day Without Shoes" campaign to raise awareness for the hardships children in developing countries encounter in their daily lives. 

Just sign up on Facebook, and they'll send a bottle of a limited edition Essie polish your way!  This is while supplies last, of course.  I signed up, and I'm really not sure if I'll get a bottle or not, but it's a great cause run by a great company.  I adore TOMS shoes...and Essie, of course!

Check it out!

Curses, snow!

I have fallen off the wagon.  I blame it all on the snow.  Something about a nerve-wracking commute that takes four times as long as it should that'll knock a person right off the track to kicking a nervous habit.  I didn't do too much damage, so I didn't take any pics, but I'm still not proud.  Stupid snow.

Now, remember that trip to Ulta?  Well, this store may have taken Target's place in my book as the land of happiness and dreams.  I could (and did) do serious damage in the place!  Here's what I got:

Essie Sew Psyched and Revlon Suede Matte Ruby Ribbon.  I've had long wear-time with the only other Essie I have, and the Revlon color will be a foray into a finish I've yet to play around with.  I'll be sure and swatch that one, for sure.

 Here are the three OPI colors I picked up (L to R):  Coronation, Ski Teal We Drop and You Don't Know Jacques (it looks pink, but it's really a light milk chocolate color).  I gotta say at this stage in the game that I'm gonna have to go with OPI as my favorite brand, for the range of colors alone.  The formula is great, and the wear-time seems to be decent as well.

Here's Ski Teal We Drop.  It's a creamy teal that leans towards blue.  It came out a bit darker than I expected, which is not really a complaint.  I did have some application problems, to be honest.  The left hand (I'm right-handed) went on just fine, but by the time I got over to my right hand, it was going gloopy.  Because of that, it was a messy manicure, and cleanup was a BEAR.  

Excuse the bizarre choice of background in the last picture above, by the way.  I'm still experimenting with manicure photography, and when your studio is a garage, you get creative!