Ah, Color Club. We meet at last.

I'm not sure why, as it seems be quite prevalent throughout other parts of these United States, but Color Club polish is not to be found in my neck of the woods.  Luckily, there's SWAPPING!

Hautelook.com was kind enough to grant me the opportunity to dabble cheaply in the world of Butter London, but in spite of the English connection (which ought to be enough to win me over these days), I was not impressed.  I know it was just the colors.  So I posted those bad boys on Makeup Alley, and got THESE in return!

 

These are Otherworldly (top) and Wink Wink Twinkle (bottom) from the Starry Temptress collection, and I LOOOVE them.  I must confess that for Pink Wednesday, I chose the less color-accurate photo of Wink Wink Twinkle.  It reality, it leans very purple.  I called it fuschia, my Mom called orchid.  You may also choose to call it a beeyotch to remove, cause these are.  Though not total topcoat-eaters, that's some gritty glitter when it comes time to say goodbye.  That won't stop me from wearing either of these again (and again), or from trying to get more of this collection.

Haul, and a full-on Monet

Happy Sunday, all!  I have been a busy little nail junkie lately.  I mentioned my Makeup Alley swapping I'd been doing, but I also got my very first order from Born Pretty Store.  It was like Christmas!

I got a brush set, a rhinestone set, a sticker set, a dotting tool set and a striping tape set.  All this set me back maybe $35, shipping and all.  That's a pretty sweet deal, if you ask me.  The brush set alone is going to prove invaluable.  My cleanup has gotten SOOOO much better now that I've traded the slanted eyeliner brush I was using for a smaller brush.


Today I tried out rhinestones for the first time.  It is, as mentioned above, a full-on Monet.  As Cher from Clueless would tell you, "From far away it's okay, but up close it's a big ol mess!"  Ergo, do me a favor and don't click to enlarge!

The color above is Hard Candy "Sky."  It's one of those colors you just feel obligated as a nail junkie to own.  It IS a pretty color, but I'm going to have to work on application.  It would require about four thin coats for good coverage, but I, of course, am impatient.  I tried instead to do two or three thicker coats, and the formula is just to runny for that.  After I applied Seche Vite and started cleaning up, I had to deal with LOTS of dragging at the cuticles.  This mani really IS just a big ol mess!  Cute, though.  Y'all have a good week!

It perplexes me. I'm terribly perplexed.

I know I'm a part of the nail-junkie community now that I've had experience swapping on MakeupAlley.  I've heard so many tales of finding Revlon Perplex at Big Lots, but there is no such luck here in small-town southern America, so I put out the call on MUA.  I lucked out with a lass in search of Zoya Jules.  You may recall that Jules was a big ole MISS on me (in my opinion anyway), so I happily traded with her.  Forthwith, the results:

These pictures came out hella dark, but I'm okay with that.  See, that means it was overcast on one of these days where it's been 90+ degrees.  For over a week.  Ouch. 

Perplex really is a lovely color.  In light such as this, it seems to be a normal purple.  Sometimes even a purple-leaning gray, like Zoya Caitlin.  But subjected to certain light, it's got a lovely subtle shimmer. 

Strange Tips

1.  Never poke a pregnant hamster.
2.  Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden.  Except for cheap tricks.
3.  Wear white after Labor Day.  I dare you.
4.  Never smile at a crocodile.
5.  Do as I say, not as I do.
6.  Don't stick anything smaller than your elbow into your ear canal.
7.  Do put darker color French tips over light pastel colors, as I've done here with Avon Olive Green and OPI On Stranger Tides.
8.  Take more time with your polish application, so your manicures look better than mine.

Steady As She Rose...with a twist

EVERYBODY is swatching the OPI Pirates collection, and I won't lie...I gave in and purchased Steady As She Rose and Stranger Tides.  However, as you've seen them all before, I'm determined to swatch them in a slightly different way.


So, for this Pink Wednesday, I bring you Steady as She Rose with two coats of Ulta After Party.

I rather like this combo.  Upon close inspection, I see that my glittercoat application was a bit slapdash, but that was an eventful night.  Chicas were doing it for themselves...my stepmom and I had to get Dad's old '49 Ford running since we had a prospective buyer coming round to look at it the next day.  She got it going, but it died when we pulled back into the drive to get money for gas.  The two of us shoooooooved that bad boy back into the garage, and I'm here to tell ya...cars weighed a LOT back then.

Note the look of frustration on the driver's face.  Happy Pink Wednesday!

Free Weekend!

Yaaaay!  It's the first weekend I've had in a while where there wasn't much of anything I just HAD to do, and it's been very nice indeed.


I've got a lot of untrieds to work through, so I spent some time just playing around with the colors I had in waiting.  On my hands, I tried out Sally Hansen HD "DVD."

It's, uh...meh.  In the bottle, it looks like an intriguing blue-purple foil duochrome, and indeed it is that on the nail.  BUT, it took four coats to achieve the bottle color, and that's just too many in my book.  Also, as you can see by my pinkie, it doesn't last long.  I just applied this yesterday.

Now, I am loathe to show off my tootsies; not because I think they're hideous, but because I know some people have...issues with looking at feet.  But I have to show you the first color I've tried out from the import grab bag I recently got from Chris at Lacquer Ware for Tips and Toes.  I hate that she's leaving the blogging community, but I'll tell ya, I got some GREAT colors from her blog sale.  Below is an unknown color from a manufacturer called Etude House.  The color label has some writing on it that appears to be Korean or Vietnamese.  I'm not totally sure what the color is or where it came from, but it's lovely!

Hope everyone else has had a lovely weekend.  If you'relucky, it isn't so stinkin' hot where you are!

Black Wednesday

I'm working my way through the new series of Doctor Who.  I lost David Tennant as the Doctor tonight.  This show SUCKS.

Here's some frickin' frackin' pink nail polish.  Whatever.  I don't wanna talk about it. 

Sally Hansen Fruiti Patutti

Fruiti Patutti with Sally Hansen Snow Blast

May your polish never chip and your Doctor never regenerate.