SH Oldie- Purple Potion

Ohemgee.
This polish is amazing.
I found this is my friend's bedroom, and she said I could have it. I was a little scared because the bottle is gold, so I had no idea what was inside. And inside was.... magic. An amazing, grey-toned lavender holo? I couldn't believe my eyes.

China Glaze- For Audrey

I love this polish!
This pic isn't very color accurate though. In real life, FA is less neon and more green... along the lines of Sinful Mint Apple. Application was good, this was two coats.

OPI- Gargantuan Green Grape

Hey guys!
This lovely little polish was my first OPI.
And it nearly turned me off OPI forever.. this polish is a downright PITA.
Though it's an amazing color, the application is horrible. Streaks, bald patches, and tip drag galore.

But it's really pretty, isn't it?

CC Revvvvvvvvvvolution with Orly Snowcone Konad

I never remember how many v's this polish has, so I decided to add a few extras just in case.
Anyway, it just got dark here but I was too excited about this one to not take/share pics.

I'm not very good at konad.
Heck, I'm downright awful at konad.
It comes out smeary and off center every time.
Except this one!







The flowers are from plate m3.
I'll post sun pics if I can get some!

As promised, here is a sun pic :)

Emerald Who?

Hey guys :)
I experimented today. I really wanted to see what it would look like if I mixed ChG Emerald Sparkles with her fraternal twin, ChG Dorothy Who? So I did. I love the result!



That's Emerald Sparkles on my index finger, Emerald Who? on my middle, and Dorothy Who? on my ring finger. It looks more like ES in my opinion, but it's still quite pretty :)

Once I get Rupy Pumps (hopefully soon) and a backup of DW, I'll franken those together too.

Holographic Half-Moon

Hey guys :)
Today I attempted to do a half moon mani- my last few have been major failures, so I was hoping this one would work out. And it did!
If you can ignore my frazzle, anyway :)

My ring finger is a bit off, I know, but that's ok.
This is one coat WnW black with Milani Cyberspace over it, and one coat SV.


Sunlight:



(I'm not sure why you can't see the holo, it's quite pretty.)


Shade:



Tell me what you think!

Nail Polish Finishes

Hey guys ;)
I just happened upon this AMAZING post by the lovely Michèle over at Lacquerized.
She took the time to compile a list (complete with pictures) of 25 nail polish finishes. I definitely get confused sometimes, so this was a great resource for me. Check it out!

:Click Here:

NOTD: Orly- Snowcone

This is one coat!
I decided to add another after seeing it in the close-up pic, but by that time the sun had gone down so I couldn't take more pictures.
I love this color, though :D
It's my favorite pastel (I don't own many), and it came with such an adorable mini lipgloss!
Application was good, brush is good. Overall a pretty average polish :)

A Giveaway for USA Girls!

Hey guys :)
The lovely lady over at The Laquerista is having a giveaway, specially devoted to giving away European brands to us US girls. Check it out!

T&T Number Two: Olive Oil!

As much as a love vaseline, I love E.E.O.O. (Extra virgin olive oil) even more. This wonderful stuff is all natural, and has ridiculous moisturizing power.

I decided to try out a little tip I picked up in a magazine, and decided to soak my fingers in a tiny dish of EEOO. Wow.

This stuff is amazing!
I soaked my freshly acetone-marked fingers in a tiny cup of olive oil for two minutes apiece, and came out with smooth, supple cuticles that I'm actually proud to show off.
Amazing!

Try it today ;)

Layout Change

Hey guys, I'm testing new layouts at the moment so ignore any broken links/random layout changes, it'll all be fixed soon!

**Edit: I've chosen a new layout! Feel free to share your thoughts. Please tell me if you spot any broken links/other errors. I hope you guys like it- I do!

I also hooked up an RSS feed, and decided to get myself a twitter. Click the icons on the right hand side to access either of those.

Have a nice night/day!

A Teal Comparison

Someone commented that they liked to see comparisons, so I thought I'd do one. These colors looked very similar in the bottle, but quite different on the nail. Ignore the lobster claws- I had to edit the photo a bit so the polish color would be more accurate, making my fingers appear redder.

From Thumb-Pinkie: Urban Outfitters- Blue 1, ChG Custom Kicks, Icing Teal (mini), SH Fairy Teal, & Claire's Mood in Peaceful/Confident.

Hope you guys like it!

Swatch Requests

Hey guys, here is some  quick swatch/pic spam for you :)


Milani- Cool Vibe


A franken I made, consisting of pretty much every holo/glitter/shimmer I own. No name- suggestions?


Brucci- Explosive Meteorite



SH- Pixel Pretty


Hot Topic- Mint Green


Savina- Neon Yellow

A Realization

Hey guys :)
So, for awhile I've been pretty addicted to my follower count.
I've striven to be a 'popular' nail blogger.. bringing me back to pre-junior high maturity level.
So, today I realized that instead of trying to please prospective followers, I really should just give my all to provide a good, entertaining nail resource for my current followers. There are a hundred and three of you, and I appreciate all of you, thanks for reading my blog.

So, answer the poll on the right, and comment with any requests you may have!

Thank you all so much, you guys are great!

NOTD: Orly- Chantilly Peach

Grrr, sheers.
One of my big problems with sheers (Especially sheers in the nude range) is that I constantly paint over my cuticles without noticing. But, I'm not sure what happened here... I must have been blind. Aside from that, even though this color isn't my thing I really like it. Application was fine, brush is good, and I love the Orly bottle handle. This is three coats.

NOTD: SH- Plum Power

I love plums.
My friend Casey grew up in this cute little house about a block away from me, with plum trees lining the backyard. Every single year I would try to pick one, but they'd either be unripe or too ripe. It was quite frustrating.

Anyway, this polish is a nice, plum shimmer... plus pink. This isn't a true plum to me, in my opinion plum is dark, and never shimmery. This has subtle blue and pink shimmer as well, you can really see it more in the picture than IRL. Application was good, no major problems. Brush is the Xtreme Wears brush, so it wasn't amazing but I didn't mind it.

Sinful- Green Ocean

I thought I'd try out my new bottle of Sinful-Green Ocean over a variety of different colors.
Or... three different colors.
I could have done more, but I'm awful at taking pics with more fingers that just my normal three.

From L-R: Green Ocean over Wnw Carribean Frost, Eggplant Frost, & Black Creme.

I don't like it at all over Eggplant Frost, personally.
However, black is stunning, and over a teal color is creates a really nice subtle effect you can't quite see in the picture.

I'm looking forward to trying it over different colors, like navy blue.

NOTD: Orly Goth

I forgot about this tiny little baby bottle I have of Orly Goth.
It's so cute!
I picked it up at my local beauty store awhile ago in the clearance section. Very fun.
I'm off to the amusement park today- I love roller coasters!
I have a bunch of swatch pics I'll post when I get back.
See you then!

Urban Outfitters NP: Swatches & Review

Ew.

I thought I'd love these, honestly. The color look amazing (Not the most unique, but great nonetheless), the bottles are adorable, and I haven't heard horrible things about the formula.

However, that may be because it's so bad that it's practically bad voodoo to speak of it. I may be exaggerating a bit- they could be worked with if one had the time, skills, and patience.. but it's not worth it for me. See my 'NYC Hauls' post for the bottle pics.

Another thing I don't like is that these polishes are unnamed. They are labeled only with a color and a number- making it possible to find a specific shade, but confusing and rather boring. This is Blue 2. This one was a four coater, and there's still streaks. Sadly, I love this shade.. but hate the polish. I'm really into brights and grey-toned shades right now, and this fits the bill (it's a bit more grey IRL)

This is Blue 1, with plenty of streaks and bald patches for everyone. This is a really common color though, I'm sure I could find a dupe of it if I really wanted to. This is four coats. I'll admit the bald patches were probably my fault- I rushed, and ended up dragging. This shade isn't that special- pretty but unoriginal. It reminds me of ChG Shower Together IRL, sans shimmer.

Woohoo, streaks! I found a genuine 'Barney' purple. I'm really tempted to do a mani with this and lime green polka dots. Barney was my favorite show when I was little.. next to Out of the Box & Rolie Polie Ollie. Anyway, this swatch is three or our coats.. I'm not sure exactly. I'm going to guess four though, because I have a four coat limit for swatches. I do like this color, and I think five coats could make it look alright.

And this is 'Purple 6'. How is this purple? I know purples are had to photograph, and this is a bit more purple IRL, but I never understood that. I think overall this is the one with the most promise. I believe this one is three coats.. a miracle! I quite like this shade.. it's a nice one. 

Overall.... not a good collection, not a good brand.

Their clothes are amazing though!

NOTD: SH- Speedy Sunburst

Have I ever mentioned I love the Insta-Dri brushes?
Oh my goodness, it applied itself. Literally.
This polish line is my all-time favorite (right now).

OPI? Pshhhh.
ChG? Pshhhh.
Insta-Dri? YEAHH.

Anyway, here's the picture of this lovelyness.



Isn't she lovely?

Award :)

Hey guys!
I just received this award from the wonderful blogger over at Metro Chic. Thanks so much!

Here are the Rules:

- Post the award on your blog
- Link the person who has given you the award
- Pass the award to other blogs you've discovered


I'd love to give this award to the following blogs:


Laquerized
Nail Junkie
The Nailphile
You've Got Nail

Thanks guys!

2010 Zoya Exchange!

Get excited guys... the Zoya Exchange is back!
It starts today, April 22, and I'm looking forward to seeing what everybody gets out of it.
However, I'm not too sure I'm going to participate- I'm not a huge fan of Zoya products, not so much that I'd pay a minimum of $21 plus my own shipping costs to get 6 Zoya polishes... I'll just stick to my Sinful polishes, thanks :)

But it's going to be really hard for me to resist the new glitters.... grr.
What are you guys looking forward to getting?

PS- Answer the poll!

Robot Unicorn Attack

Ok.. totally off topic here.
I just wanted to qarn you guys that I may/may not emerge from the cave I've dug for myself in the past few hours. The cave is named Robot Unicorn Attack. This is actually the most addicting game ever invented. It consists of an annoying yet catchy song, overly obnoxious dolphins, and a very accident prone jumping unicorn.  Honestly though, it's an amazing game. Immature and stupid, but amazing. Posst your scores here!

/spam

Mini 'Shrek Green' Comparison

Sorry, no actual shrek green here. Not from the Shrek collex. anyway.




From L-R: Sinful Innocent, SH Grass Slipper, SH Lickety-Split Lime.

I love these colors :D
Innocent is my least favorite out of these three- it's way too yellow, extremely hard to apply, and has HORRIBLE staining. Neon green nails, anyone? However, Innocent is the most 'shrek' color in my opinion. I think my favorite is Lickety-Split Lime, but I'm not sure. It definitely had the best application out of the three, and without a doubt the best brush. I love the insta-dri brushes.

I really love comparison pics, but I don't have many to compare. Tell me if you know of one you want to see.

Essie Swatches & Review

Hey guys :)

I just received a few samples from Essie to review- two from the upcoming Resort collection, and one from the spring 2010 collection.

Starting off, we have the lovely Red Nouveau.

After hearing about the ridiculous sheerness of most Essie polishes, I was extremely pleased to open this hottie up, and discover a one coater. I did two coats in this picture because I have a hard time breaking habit, but it could have easily been a one coater. This color is described as a "fiery hot crimson", which I find very accurate. This picture is quite accurate, except that the polish is just a tiny bit cooler IRL. It looks to me like the color of a frozen tomato (yes, I do freeze tomatoes). It's a great polish for casual events, but I wouldn't use it at work.

Next up is A Splash of Grenadine, from the summer 2010 Resort Collection. ASoG is a really nice cool-toned pale pink. It's described as "playful magenta pink", which I don't exactly agree with- I don't see much magenta at all. This swatch is 3 coats, but they were rather thick so perhaps four for the very thin-coaters out there. The application had no issues at all, but it was nothing special either. I love this shade because although there are a lot of pinks, this one is quite unique- I've never seen anything like it. I also love the name, though in real life Grenadine is a deep red... perhaps that's why it's only a splash of Grenadine. This shade is great for anything, I think it's very work appropriate. Overall, very nice.

Last but not least is my personal favorite, Turquoise & Caicos. Though it didn't turn out exactly how I expected it to look (In my mind it looked much bluer- more teal than turquoise), this is a really nice shade, and very unique for Essie. The color is less vibrant in real life, a bit more on the pastel side. Essie describes this color as a "flirty and tropical pretty aqua", which is pretty spot-on. This swatch is three normal coats. Application was fine, it did get a bit streaky on my ring finger but that was my fault, I rushed this one. I don't really like this color on me, as I don't like any form of mint/pale green on me at all. I think it's look wonderful on people with either really tan or really pale skin though. Though it's definitely not work appropriate, it's not overly obtrusive either, making it a great, versatile shade.

Thanks for reading, guys!

**These were sent to me by the company for review.

NYC Haul

Hey guys!
So, in NYC I picked up quite a number of polishes.
I'll admit, I did really badly on my supposed low-buy plan... I acquired way more than 5 polishes, and I spent quite a bit more than $25. The sad part is, is that I probably could have gotten all (or most) of these polishes here in California.... NYC is not a good place for impulse shoppers.

Tell me if you see anything you like that you want swatched, I'll be happy to swatch it for you :)



Urban Outfitters (Review coming up soon). From L-R- Blue 1, Purple 6, Purple 1, Blue 2.



Small CVS Haul. From L-R- Orly Blue Suede, Brucci Explosive Meteorite, Orly Snowcone.



Large DS Haul. From L-R (Center is SH Hard as Nails TC). From L-R- SH Blu, SH Pixel Pretty, Maybelline Goody Plum Drop, SH Lickety Split Lime, Milani Purple Passion, Milani Cool Vibe.


Overall, I'm happy with my haulage :)

NOTD: $OPI- Le Beau

I'm finally getting around to uploading all my old NOTDs and whatnot. I'm taking a sick today today, so hopefully I'll have mostly everything up by this evening. Today, I'm bringing you $OPI Le Beau, a rather old but amazing color from one of the Sephora by OPI collections.



I'd say this color is just a simple, classy, classic red. Due to the light in the picture it looks more red-toned than it is, it's actually a bit bluer in real life. Application was alright, I got a few bubbles but I'm blaming that on my seche- nail polish doesn't do well in airplanes. I love the $OPI brushes, though it took me awhile to get the hang of them.  I rarely like reds, but I'm actually quite a fan of this one. It's a very classic shade, but doesn't look outdated or old. Overall, a great polish :)

And the winner is....

After a random selection by use of the Random Number Generator, I am please to announce the winner of my giveaway is Laura from Sawan Heaven. Congrats, Laura! I'll be emailing you for further info.

Stay tuned for the next giveaway, guys ;)

Giveaway is Ending!

Hey guys!
So, the giveaway is coming to a close.
You guys have until 12 PM PST to turn in your entries!

I'm amazed by all the attention I've gotten for this little giveaway- I'm very grateful to everyone who has helped it be noticed.

Thanks everyone!

Back from NYC!

Hey guys, I just arrived home!
The trip was amazing, and even though I didn't get a lot of unique to NYC polishes.. I did get a lot of polishes :D

I also received a few packages in the mail, including one from Essie!
Haul pics, swatches, reviews, are coming right up.

Stay tuned!

/end cheesy sitcom

Sunshine Award!

Thanks to the amazing Liana over at Homemade Nails, I am now the proud owner of a sunshine award!

Rules: 

1) Post the logo within your blog or post.

2) Pass the award onto several other bloggers.

3) Link the nominees within your post.

4) Let the nominees know they have received an award by commenting on their blog.

5) Share the love and link to the person whom you received this award from.

My nominees! I don't know any of my nominees personally, but their blogs are my go-to nail blogs- and have been since I first started loving polish!

1. Scrangie over at Scrangie

2. Megan over at Little Music Boxes

3. Siobhan over at The Nailphile

4. Aquilah over at From Mascara to Meatloaf

Thanks, guys!

NYC!

Hey guys ;)
I know my posts have slowed down the past few days, and I'm sorry for that.
This is because I'm preparing for my trip to New York City on friday!

I'm super excited to go, but this means I won't be able to post until Sunday the 18th.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to post again before I leave, so this is my goodbye!
I'll miss you guys, see you in a week and a half!

xoxo
Bria

Oh Naturale :D

Hey guys ;)
So, my mom has recently become organic crazed. I never thought it would rub off on me (I'm a girl who loves her processed cheetos & gummy bears)

But then I started taking a look at some of my favorite nail products, and started realizing that I don't know 95% of the ingredients. This freaked me out a bit.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love my little chemical-laden beauties. But that's what nail polish is for- not whitener, conditioner, & cuticle cream. So, I've decided to go the natural route for all my non-polish (or remover) nail care needs.

So far, I've discovered that extra virgin olive oil is the best thing on this planet. Honestly.. over the past two days I've used it it/on my feet, hands, cuticles, hair, & pasta and I've never felt better! It's wonderfully moisturizing, and really helps add shine and nutrients to all parts of your body. I'm going to try using lemon juice to whiten my nails tonight- I'll let you know how that works out.

What's your favorite natural nail remedy?

Lemlemlemlemlem.

Well, it's day one of my new nail polish buying regime, and I can feel myself starting to fail.
How do I know that this is never going to work out?

Online shopping.

Online shopping is a very bad thing.

For instance, right now I have a VNS cart filled with:

OPI Suzi Skis in the Pyranees Suede
OPI We'll Always Have Paris Suede
ChG OMG
ChG Agent Periwinkle
OPI Dim Sum Plum
OPI SSFS
OPI JiTNB



And you know what's worse?
I'm going to NYC in a week.
NYC has amazing shopping. Most likely with nail polish.

So, which are worth it?

Let's see how this works out.

Hey guys :)

So, after sneaking a peak at my poor bank account, I decided I must go on a no-buy.
Then, I thought this through, and realized that this would ultimately fail.. miserably.

So, I've decided on a low-buy, and I need your help sticking to it.
I've decided that I'm only allowed to buy five polishes a month, or spend up to $25 on polish a month.
I know this sounds extremely low for all of you, but I've bought acquired (some were gifted to me) almost 100 polishes in the last two months. I use one nail polish a day, so this means I have about.. 40 untrieds? Ridiculous!
 
So guys, help me stick to this low-buy. Every time I get a major lemming I'll make a post about it- it's up to you to tell me whether it's worth it or not.

Thanks guys!

Much love,
Bria <3

NOTD: $OPI - Blue Grotto

[Please ignore the fact that I'm holding a plastic rhino :P]

Unfortunately, this is my favorite color I own.
I say unfortunately because, although this is quite possibly the most gorgeous blue I've ever seen in my entire freaking life, it's also the most PITA chiptastic blue I own. I'd describe Blue Grotto as a dark purple-toned royal blue. It's amazingly pretty, but it took two coats just to smooth out the streaky, bubbled mess this left me. The bubbles may have been my fault (I'm a polish shaker), but the streaks were bad enough as it is.

I got one more $OPI polish, so I'm hoping that one will be better.

PSA: Select $OPI shades are on sale now!

Hey guys :)
Just wanted to let you know that there's a small sale going on at most Sephoras now, with certain $OPI (Sephora by OPI) shades on sale now for $5 dollars apiece. I picked up Blue Grotto and Le Beau, and I'm really excited to swatch them. I'd describe Blue Grotto as a dark royal blue creme, and Le Beau as a classic 'snow white' cool toned red creme. They look very nice, I love cremes :) Swatches coming as soon as the sun is up!

Vaseline AKA Amazing Tub of Magic

Alright, so this isn't exactly a tip or trick, it's more of a list :)
I recently got into using vaseline (petroleum jelly), and though most of these things aren't nail polish related specifically, this is a list of many of the things I've used vaseline for in the past:

1. It makes a fantastic cuticle balm.
2. Put it on before water marbling and it makes cleanup 100x easier.
3. If you have a cold, vaseline can rescue your poor chaffed nose.
4. Mix it with kool-aid or another powdered flavoring and make a great (and cheap) lip balm.
5. Slather vaseline on your hands/feet, put on cotton socks & leave overnight. Amazing softness!
6. It doesn't clog pores (as easily as it seems it would), so use it as a moisterizer for acne prone skin.
7. Helps easily take off tight rings.
8. Rub some vaseline on your polish bottle threads (the rings around the neck), and they won't ever get stuck!
9. Rub a tiny bit over your old polish, it ups the shine and makes it look new.
10. Use a tiny bit to shine up your favorite shoes/bags.
11. Use it when you put earrings in to make it easy and painless.
12. Mix it with sea salts and make a killer body scrub.
13. Helps get rid of razor burn.
14. A tiny bit on an old toothbrush will exfoliate your lips amazingly!
15.  It can use as a makeshift makeup remover in a pinch :)

Have I said I love vaseline?