Saturday, August 31, 2013

Double-Stuf Orly: Jealous, Much? and Sparkling Garbage

Hey everybody!  I hope your weekend is going well.  We recently heard some very sad news about Double-Stuf Oreos not actually being double the powdered sugar and shortening...while that is a major travesty, I do have some consolation in the form of a double ORLY combo today, my recent acquisitions Jealous, Much? and the amazing Sparkling Garbage!


I picked up Jealous, Much? at TJ Maxx in a double-pack of polishes, and I really like it.  It's a very nice minty pistachio creme from the 2012 Cool Romance collection.  The first coat goes on horribly patchy, but I used three coats total, and everything evened out very well.


For my thumb and ring finger I used Orly Sparkling Garbage, a polish that simply needs no explanation.  You've heard about this one all summer long...and with good reason.


Sparkling Garbage is a scattered holo in a green jelly base.  I layered two coats over the Jealous, Much? for 100% pure awesomeness!

Is it just me, or is this AMAZING?

So...don't be jealous of my garbage!!  Run get yourself some Orly...especially Sparkling Garbage, since the Mash-Up Collection is limited edition.  I got the last one at my Ulta, and I'm really glad I did.


If garbage looks THIS good, then call me trashy!! :)

And guess what?  My giveaway ends tonight at midnight, so enter before the clock strikes 12 and you turn back into a tattered servant girl who sings with the mice!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! :)


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Summer 2012 - a Zoya Odyssey: Zuza and Kimber

Hey everybody!  Well, it's the last week of wearing my summer dresses to the office.  Labor Day is Monday, and I'm a purist. :)  We've seen a lot of great polish this summer, but lately I've been thinking about last year when the Zoya Surf collection came out, and everybody fell in love with a girl named Zuza...and to a lesser extent, her little sister Kimber.


Who couldn't help but drool over Zuza?  A perfect light turquoise with gold AND silver shimmer?  Enough said.  Just gaze upon her glory...



I should add that Zuza has the lucky distinction of being the polish I've worn for the longest time, at 7 days straight.  Two coats provide shimmery, mistake-proof coverage.

Zoya Kimber is another beauty from the Surf collection.  Kimber is described as medium magenta pink, but on me, it looks pinkish-red with a tiny hint of coral.  I've never been able to really give it an accurate color description.  Isn't it weird how that happens?  You read a color description, and it's just nothing like you see on your fingers?  Kimber's still lovely, even though I have no idea what color it REALLY is. :D



Kimber is a very spotlight-grabbing polish, so if you wake up one day and your face is broken out or your hair just won't fix right, don't wear Kimber because you just might get unwanted attention.  I warned you.


Kimber has a beautiful gold shimmer and a fantastic application.  I used two coats for photos.  Uncommonly pretty.




The Zoya Surf collection was the first ever polish collection that I bought in its entirety.  I loved every one in that bunch!  Ahhhh...2012 was an excellent year for foils. :)

Did you get any of the Surf collection from summer 2012?  I wish all trips down memory lane were this colorfully awesome!

Have a lovely evening, and thanks for stopping by! :)


Monday, August 26, 2013

Nicole by OPI Comparison: Just Busta Mauve and Cinna-Man of My Dreams

Hey everybody!  We've seen a whole lot of textured polish this year.  And while I don't go crazy for them as many people do, there were two textured polishes that I really wanted this year:  Julie G Rock Candy and Nicole by OPI Cinna-Man of My Dreams.  I wanted them for the same reason I usually want a polish:  because they were unusual. 

When I finally found Cinna-Man (everybody seemed to be really late getting the NOPI Gumdrops), I noticed right away that in the bottle, it bore a striking resemblance to another of my very favorite NOPI polishes, Just Busta Mauve.  Sooo...I decided to do a little comparison of the two.  Obviously, I knew they wouldn't, or couldn't, look a whole lot similar due to the texture difference, but the colors are so close in the bottle that it got me curious.

(L) Just Busta Mauve and (R) Cinna-Man of My Dreams

Just Busta Mauve is a brown glass fleck polish with a little pink and a lot of blue shimmer.  I LOVE this polish.  It's a bit sheer but builds up nicely in 3 coats.




Look at that insane shimmer!  The blue is hard to capture in photos, but it's very visible in real life and produces a sparkling effect.  The only thing about this polish that I don't like is the name.  Mauve?  Really??

Cinna-Man of My Dreams is another polish that's a little bit unusual...it's a brownish-red that looks a little pink too.  It's crazy sparkly and looks magically delicious! :)




As you can see, Cinna-Man is super sparkly, but bears absolutely no resemblance to Just Busta Mauve on the nail.  It's a little closer with top coat, but still Cinna-Man is his own man. :)


UGH...I LOVE THIS with top coat!!  Look at the depth it gives it.  It's a striking polish either way.  So is Just Busta Mauve.  But they're not even close in color when you get them out of the bottle.  Am I the only one who thinks they look alike in the bottle??

Well I hope you've enjoyed my little comparison of completely different polishes, LOL.  Well, okay...let's just say it was for my own benefit!! :)

Thanks for stopping by, and remember to enter my giveaway!  It ends Sunday night, and the prizes are fantastic! :)  Have a lovely day!


Sunday, August 25, 2013

Say What? Pipe Dream Polish What You Are or What

Hey everybody!  In the words of the great philosopher Edie Brickell, "I'm not aware of too many things. I know what I know, if you know what I mean."  Mmm-kay.  Those were the opening lines of the song "What I Am", the song from which Pipe Dream Polish takes its name for today's polish, What You Are or What.  Unlike the utterly confusing lyrics of "What I Am", there is nothing confusing about the awesomeness of this lovely polish! :)


Oh yeah.  Blurple jelly.  And the glitters...my my my...teal, fuchsia...oh, I'll just let the macro do the talking...



For those of you who weren't even close to being born in 1988, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians' song "What I Am" was HUGE.  That was back when MTV still played music videos!  Edie was unlike anything else in the 80's, kind of a hippie chick.  I liked the song.  But coolest part about it was that my best friend's cousin was in her band.


What You Are or What is my kind of polish!  It's blurple.  It's a jelly.  It has all my favorite colors of glitter.  Flawless application.  Easy cleanup.   I used 2 coats and 1 coat of CND Air Dry for this glittery, juicy look. 


April at Pipe Dream Polish makes so many great polishes, and the formulas are fabulous.  Hey!  What do you know?  One of the prizes in my giveaway is a Pipe Dream Polish! :)  Be sure to enter, and you could win What You Are or What or another beautiful Pipe Dream Polish!


What do you think of this charming blurple polish?  Wow, I love it.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! :)


Saturday, August 24, 2013

My Very Own Franken Femme Creation: Toxic Chocolate!

Hey everybody!  I hope you're having a great weekend so far.  I was just happy to sleep late, which was 5:30. :D  I have something special to show you today...the lovely, talented, and extremely witty Becca at Franken Femme sent me my very first ever blogging bud nail mail!  A few weeks ago, Becca created a flakie beauty she called Toxic Chocolate, and I really loved it.  So being the sweetie pie she is, she made me my very own bottle. :)


For those of you who aren't familiar with Becca's mad frankening skills, you can find the story of how Toxic Chocolate came into being here.  Becca creates some awesome stuff...sometimes originals, sometimes frankens from other polishes.  Toxic Chocolate is a franken with which even SHE fell in love.  Becca is very talented and her blog is a joy to read because she's so stinkin' funny.


Look at that bottle shot!  The color of Toxic Chocolate reminds me of the sludge left in the bottom of an almost-eaten caramel and hot fudge sundae. Mmmmm.

Becca created this polish as a matte, but I was experiencing some awful drying time...again, not the polish's fault, but the humidity's.  I applied top coat, and it still had a satiny finish rather than a really shiny one.


While the color of Toxic Chocolate is beautiful, the flakies make it really special, especially the Seawitch Green ones.  I wore this polish for 2 and a half days, which is an eternity in my wear time. :)

Nothing toxic about this polish!  It didn't give me that paper cut.

Becca has made some lovely things in her top secret frankening laboratory, but I think she really outdid herself on this one.  

Blogging buds are some of the most creative people out there, and you know something else?  They're really nice too.  My sincere thanks to Becca for being so very thoughtful. ;)

Please don't forget to enter my giveaway!  Entries are low, so you have a really good chance of winning some wonderful indie polish! 

Be sure to check out Becca's blog, Franken Femme, and prepare yourself to be impressed.  Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! :)

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Tropi-Crazy!! Hare Polish Neon Palm

Hey everybody!  Don't you love Hare Polish?  Yep, I thought so.  Everybody does.  If you don't believe me, try finding your own bottle of Hooky at the Hamlet.  You can't.  Hare Polish fascinates me.  Not only are the colors very unique and the formulas great, but they are in such demand that once you get one, you know you have something valuable on your hands.  And nails. :)

So guess who just happened to be in the right place at the right time when Nikole announced a surprise soft launch of the new late summer collection??  Yours truly!  (And that's NOT Your's Truly.)  I took one look at the gorgeous collection, The Tropics Are Calling, and I instantly *knew* the one that is destined to become this collection's prize:  Neon Palm.




It's sparkly!  It's a jelly!  It's hot pink and murky green??  Yeah.  I know you hear this all the time, but this time, I really mean it.  You have *never* seen anything like this.  It's a festive party...but with a very dark side.  I see the whole story of the tropical craziness on my nails...can you see it?...picture it with me...




It's 1945...you're sitting in one of those incredibly popular Havana-esque music and dining spots, drinking some sort of fruit juice with a little umbrella sticking out of it.  Everything is bright, colorful, sparkly...hot pink flowers on the tables, the stage bedecked in palms, and the band's brass instruments flashing under the lights.  Ricky Ricardo takes the stage and starts singing "Babalu!!"  Then, out of nowhere, a hurricane blows in, creating mayhem with its pelting rain...the lights flicker on and off...when they come back on, the entire orchestra are an ensemble of bongo-playing zombies.  And they're all looking right at you and your brains.  After all, you're a smart girl to be reading a post about such a cool polish! :D  I guess what I'm trying to say is Neon Palm looks like scary paradise?  I know you understand...hey, at least I didn't use a food analogy. :)




In true Hare Polish style, Neon Palm's extremely glittery jelly formula spreads evenly on the nail.  It is opaque in 2 coats, but I used 3 for photos.  The hot pink and copper glitter pieces (hexes and squares) are more than abundant.  Just be sure to use an extra coat of top coat!




What do you think of Neon Palm?  I love the dusty green murkiness combined with the bold, sparkling colors.  Creepy in a very good way! :)  Unfortunately, it's sold out right now.  YAY me!! :)  But you will be able to get it very soon as Hare Polish will be sending it out to distributors.  YAY everybody!! :)

Thanks for stopping by...and don't forget to enter my giveaway!!  Have a lovely day! :)

Monday, August 19, 2013

How Bloggers Influence Me: SinfulColors SinfulShine Yours Truly

Hey everybody!  I hope you're doing well.  I gave this post its name because there were two different blogs that influenced me to purchase today's polish.  Yun at The Polish Hideout was featuring some of the Tink Collection by Nicole by OPI last week, and I knew I HAD to have that pink one.  In the meantime, Karen at Frazzle and Aniploish did a review of some of the new SinfulShine polishes.  I thought, "Hmmm, I really like that last green one..."

I went down to Walgreens, after checking Yun's post *one more time* to make sure the Tinks were, in fact, a Walgreens exclusive.  Well...no Tink Collection in the building.  Pooh. But they did have a wonderful selection of the SinfulShine polishes...

I compromised and got a deliciously girly pink by SinfulShine, Yours Truly.


 And I have to tell you that the actual name of this polish is Your's Truly...but you all know I'm not going to give any airtime to badly used apostrophes, right?  Good. :)  I have been wanting a full-coverage, feminine, slightly bubblegum pink creme, and Yours Truly fit the bill perfectly.



SinfulShine polishes contain a polymer they call "Gel Tech", which is supposed to give the glossy shine of acrylic UV gel.  I don't know how it compares to a gel polish, because I've never used it, but this polish is very glossy.  It has a good application, and I used 3 coats just to try to cover up that ever-present visible nail line.  However, the glossy shine did dull a bit after 24 hours, which in my opinion isn't bad, considering the way polishes behave on me.  And these photos were taken after 24 hours.  The tip wear you see is half of what I usually have after a day.



I have never had a SinfulColors polish before now.  I guess I always figured at $1.99 (or $1.98 at Low Price Leader Wal-Mart! :D), they couldn't possibly be any good.  I also don't care for the word "sinful" in the name.  I mean...there's enough sin and depravity in the world without my nails traveling down the road to perdition as well.  Anyway...the SinfulShine line retails for $2.99 each.  I like Yours Truly so much that I wish I'd picked up a couple more.  The entire collection is 32 colors!!



Have you tried any SinfulShine polishes yet?  And most importantly...have you entered my Warm and Fuzzy Indie-tastic Giveaway??  

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! :)


Tuesday, August 13, 2013

History Lovers Only! OPI Miso Happy With This Color

Hey everybody!  Do you all like history?  I love, love, love it!  I was a history major.  Who knows how I ended up an becoming an accountant?  Ah, well.  Even though I spend my days with an adding machine, I still love history.  And today, I have a little bit of history for you...in nail polish terms, it's nearly ancient history.  The OPI Japanese Collection was released all the way back in 2005, and I have from it this little gem called Miso Happy With This Color.  I adore this polish, and the reason I do might sound weird to you, but it's just so blasted fascinating to me...it's almost the exact color of my skin.



Miso Happy With This Color was one of 3 pale nude creme shades to be released in the Japanese Collection.  This one was the one with the pinkest hue...and it's a barely-barely-there pink at most.  It's dusty-antique too, with the slightest hint of lavender.  I used 2 coats for photos.

And does this bottle look different to you?  Yep, it's different.


It's a black label!!  Black label OPIs were from before the dawn of the Big 3 Era.  They also have really small brushes.  I have tiny nails, and this is one small brush.


I bought Miso Happy With This Color back in 2008 on Ebay.  I remember it was in a lot of 3, all the same color.  I had to toss one after a couple of years because the lid just would not come off anymore, but I do still have two left.  I'm glad of that too.  This is one of my most treasured polishes.  I mean, hey, it might not be King Tut's treasure, but you have to admit, it's pretty cool!  I just think it looks so elegant.  You really can't tell where my fingers stop and my nails begin!  Is that a hallmark of elegance or creepiness?



And there you have it...a polish that looks as strange as I do. :D  What do you think of it? 

Thanks for stopping by!  And please don't forget to enter my Warm and Fuzzy Indie-tastic Giveaway!!

Warm and Fuzzy Indie-tastic Giveaway Reminder!

Hey everybody!  Don't forget to enter my huge indie giveaway!!  I've got some really great prizes from indie brands you love!  Just to remind you of the awesomeness, here are the prizes along with links to the indie brand posts I've done:

1 full size Windestine polish

1 full size Pretty Jelly polish

1 full size Pahlish polish

1 full size Pipe Dream Polish polish

1 full size Tawdry Terrier polish

3 full size mystery Pop Culture Cosmetics polishes


And don't forget to come back every day for the Totally Random Question daily entry!  So far, I've learned that if most of you were an animal, you would be a lazy cat.  I love it. 

More warm fuzziness!!

If you share my giveaway from the Lacquer Reverie Facebook page, I will give you 2 more entries per day. :)

Thanks for stopping by! 

Monday, August 12, 2013

A Warm and Fuzzy Giveaway! :)

Hey everybody! I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy. Why, you ask?  Well, I'm warm because it's August in southeast Georgia, but I'm *warm and fuzzy* because of all of you guys! :)  You have made my trek into the world of polish blogging so much fun for me that I wanted to show my sincere appreciation to all of you. I have made some truly wonderful friends.  So to show my thanks, I am having my first giveaway...a really BIG Warm and Fuzzy Indie-tastic Giveaway! :D 
  

Warm and fuzzy Angelo spam


Over the past few months, I have featured a few different indie polish brands that have gotten a lot of attention from my readers. For this giveaway, I have chosen prizes from my most popular indie post brands that I hope you will like...more like several prizes and one super big prize! :D  Be sure to check out my original posts featuring those brands!  All the prizes are full size bottles.

Entry submissions will run through midnight, Sunday, September 1.  Enter via the Rafflecopter widget.  The only two requirements are that you must enter your email address, and you must be a follower of this blog via either GFC or Bloglovin'.  All the other entries are optional, but you'll want to do them because they're so much fun. :D  I apologize to my international readers, but due to postal restrictions, this giveaway is only open to U.S. readers.

Be sure to share my giveaway with everybody!  Good luck, and again, thank you for all of your support!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Pop Culture Cosmetics Party Crasher

Hey everybody!  I hope your weekend is going well.  Does anybody out there like glitter??  I thought so!  You're in luck...today I have a true glitter bomb to show you from really fun indie company Pop Culture Cosmetics.  Creator Denise seems to have an endless supply of inspiration for her glitter creations...I could spend hours on the Pop Culture Cosmetics website looking at all of the polishes.  Today I show you Party Crasher!


Party Crasher is described as "a black jelly coat filled with tons of glitter in many sizes and colors."  It is a black jelly, and I layered it over Sally Hansen Black Diamond, a charcoal, and it somehow still managed to look sort of brown.  But that's no big deal when the glitter is this awesome! :) 


Photos just don't show the full scope of the sparkly deliciousness.  That's why I am a big fan of the blurred bottle shot!


I only need one coat of Party Crasher for amazing glitter coverage, and the glitters all distributed evenly on the nail.  There is not one predominant color that stands out, so I would say it's a true multicolored glitter.  The glitters are mostly hex, but there is a smattering of square as well.


This was my first Pop Culture Cosmetics polish, and I really love it.  Creator Denise also makes dozens of polishes inspired by (although she can't come right out and say it) The Happiest Place on Earth, Walt Disney World.  I am a lifelong Disney fan...I even went to WDW on my honeymoon.  I'm probably the only person ever who has had the lucky distinction of having sprained my ankle whilst exiting a Winnie the Pooh hunny pot.  But I digress...

Pop Culture Cosmetics polishes are available on Etsy and on their website.  I think everybody needs to experience this extremely fun brand!  

Hmmmmm...that gives me an idea!

Stay tuned. :)

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Keeping Cool with the Tawdry Terrier Dog Days of Summer (Pic Heavy)

Hey everybody!  I am excited for today's post because it features a brand new indie company called Tawdry Terrier.  Mother and daughter team Donna and Kimberley have created a lovely new collection called Dog Days of Summer.  You may notice a very canine theme going on here...many of you are probably familiar with Kimberley's blog TikiBarbie and have seen her photos of her adorable West Highland White terriers.  Gotta love a fellow dog lover! :D  I have three polishes from the collection, all very different and each one a stunner. :) 

First up we have Fort Barkerdale.  And look!!  Puppy bottles! :D



Fort Barkerdale is described by Tawdry Terrier as "a golden sand metallic glass fleck polish with a mix of golden sand, turquoise, and pink glitter inspired by the seashells that wash up on the wet sand as the tide goes out."  This is a gorgeous polish that was very difficult to photograph due to the insane iridescence!  I used 2 coats for full coverage, and for some reason, the pics show it looking patchy in spots, but it wasn't like that at all in real life.  It looks exactly like the wrappers on Ferrero Rocher chocolate hazelnut balls.  Seriously.  This polish absolutely glows.


I used 2 coats of Fort Barkerdale for the look of gleaming, magical sand.  It practically applied itself and I had no cleanup.

Next we have Preppy Puppy...ahhhhh, it's SO CUTE!!





Preppy Puppy is described as "a hot pink glass fleck nail polish with a mix of pink, white, and lime green glitter inspired by Lilly Pulitzer's classic summer combination of hot pink and lime green."  I just love this glitter combo...the green is very different and really makes it pop.  And  I'm quite certain my very fashionable brother-in-law has some argyle socks in these colors.


Preppy Puppy is a bit like a jelly and applies well.  I used 3 coats for the photos.

And last, we have Moondoggie.  This was actually a very generous gift to me from the Tawdry Terrier ladies because I was their very first customer!  YAY me! :D  And...UGH!!  Look at this!  It's crazy beautiful!!


 
Moondoggie is described as "a cerulean blue glass fleck nail polish with a mix of turquoise glitter inspired by the glints of sunlight reflecting off ocean waves."  I know all the whippersnappers out there have no idea who THE Moondoggie was, but he was the drool-inducing surfer character in the 1960's Gidget movies. :)  And talk about drool-inducing!



Moondoggie is the really complex one of the lot.  The formula is very similar to Julie G Frosted Gumdrops polishes, like a glitter pavé paste with good application and no cleanup.  It was a little thick but still easy to work with.  In person, Moondoggie looks like the fantasy ocean waves from a Disney movie...you almost expect Ariel to pop up waving around her latest dinglehopper.  In real life, the color leans more turquoise, and the glitter sparkles abundantly.  The following blurred bottle shot gives you an idea...


My package arrived beautifully wrapped...and each polish was individually boxed and wrapped in color-coordinating tissue!  I love attention to detail. :)

Tawdry Terrier polishes are 5-free and not tested on animals.  And to celebrate the opening of their Etsy shop, Tawdry Terrier is currently having a giveaway of their complete Dog Days of Summer collection!  Be sure to check them out! :)

Nicolo is staying cool during these dog days of summer by enjoying a frozen yogurt treat...or is he just eyeing my  polish?? ;)


Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely evening! :)