My Something Blue: Revlon Not So Blueberry (and a little bit about me)

Hey everybody!  Tuesday is my wedding anniversary.  Two years ago, I got married to my sweetheart and bestest bud Brian.  I also became a stepmother to two fantastic children, Hannah and Hunter.  I was older when I got married (this is my only marriage), so I wasn't really loving the idea of a wedding.  But Brian insisted that we have a wedding ...and I'm glad that he did, because our wedding was AWESOME in every way imaginable. :D

I know I probably won't surprise any of you with this admission, but I'm not your typical girl. :)  I did not want a standard wedding.  I wanted something with my unique stamp on it...and this meant something involving costuming and a bit of show...HAHAHA!!  We had a 1750's-themed Scottish wedding to reflect my heritage.  And my brother's day job just happens to be a bagpiper at a beachfront resort here. :)

How many teenagers do you know who would do this for their REAL mother, let alone their stepmother?? <3

I wanted everything to look very rustic, almost poor, like somebody in a Scottish village announced that somebody was getting married, and they all just got up and picked some heather on the moors and went to the wedding.  Our location was a gorgeous farmhouse in an unbelievably beautiful setting.  We said our vows in front of an old barn and used mismatched dishes for the reception.  My cake topper came from Edinburgh, and my guests were served scones from a wooden feeding trough.  The only thing missing was Gene Kelly dancing through the hills, a la Brigadoon.  It was beyond fabulous!!

Brian and Hunter's kilts were purple, but the plaid in my dress was more of a blurple, so I wanted to try to bring out the blue and wear my "something blue" on my nails.  I didn't really want to go that dark on my wedding day, so I decided on something tonal but lighter...Revlon Not So Blueberry.

Not So Blueberry is one of the scented Revlon polishes that came out way before the Parfumerie line.  It is a medium toned blurple that is really lovely and happened to be the same color as the Scottish heather garland I used. :)  It has a blue/pink/silver shimmer, and when dry, it smells fruity/fresh.

Looking at the bottle, you might think that Not So Blueberry would be frosty on the nail, but actually it's the silvery shimmer that gives it the almost metallic sheen.  It's quite beautiful and a very unusual color.  And it looks great with Scottish heather. <3

I know they wouldn't have worn blurple nail polish in 1750 Aberdeen, but hey, I did. :D


And because I'm feeling all mushy, here's my wedding processional! :)  Please enjoy the music, the outfits, my Mom struggling to keep it together, and me practically running to the altar!!  And be sure to notice the look I give Brian when I see his legs in a kilt. :P

Thanks for stopping by!  I will be on vacation with aforementioned sweetheart/best bud/hubby next week, so take care, and I'll see you in December! <3

Happy Howlidays from Tawdry Terrier! (Pic Heavy)

Hey everybody!  Well, as you know, the holiday season is in full swing everywhere, including the world of nail polish. :)  My first Christmas polish post today is three lovelies by one of my favorite indie designers, Tawdry Terrier.  These are from the new Happy Howlidays collection...so grab a cup of cocoa for yourself and a liver treat for Fido and enjoy the show!

I always like to show a photo of my beautiful package: 

First up I have the last one...chronologically speaking, that is...New Year's Barkin' Eve, graciously gifted to me by the Tawdry Terrier ladies. :)

New Year's Barkin' Eve is fireworks against a night sky conveniently captured in a bottle for you to wear whenever you feel like having a party.  Or exploding...if you've been overeating during the holidays, that is. :D

Tawdry Terrier describes New Year's Barkin' Eve this way:  "a black holographic jelly polish with a mix of black, red, gold, silver, orange, pink, purple, blue, and turquoise glitter. This polish was inspired by the explosion of fireworks on New Year's Eve."  The glitters in this are very reflective, and application is easy.  It's a perfect mix of colors, and the amount of glitter is just the right amount and doesn't simply look like a glitter bomb.  You know how some glitter polishes just look like they have tons of glitter just for the sake of having glitter?  Yeah, you know. :)

Another thing I want to add about New Year's Barkin' Eve is that the black jelly base is very pigmented.  I've found that black jelly bases sometimes look a little brownish and have to be layered over a black creme, but this was an opaque, rich black in two coats. 

Next up is an absolutely beautiful green glass fleck called Yappy Hollydays Ya'll.

Yappy Hollydays Ya'll is such an unusual green.  It's not yellow enough to be grass and not blue enough to be mint...it's just a true medium emerald green.  It's got a lovely holographic shimmer.  There is also red, silver, and gold shimmer if you can get past the holographic goings-on. :)

Ahhhh!!  It's so pretty.  And the application was fabulous...two coats and no cleanup.  This color makes me think of holo and mistletoe.  What's that?  OH!!  I meant HOLLY and mistletoe!!  See, I told you it's hard to get beyond that holo shimmer! :P

And finally, I have my very favorite polish from the Happy Howlidays collection, Bark! Harold the Angel Sings.

Heh heh...it turns out that Tawdry Terrier co-owner Kimberley, as a little girl, thought the words of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" were "Hark! Harold the angel sings." :)  I don't know about Harold, but I'm sure loving this beautiful silver with all that lovely Christmas red and green glitter!  I used three coats for the photos, and the application was great.

Bark! Harold the Angel Sings is such a festive polish.  The inspiration behind it was silver tinsel decorations, but it makes me think of caroling in the snow under glittering lights.  At least I think it does...I've never seen that much snow in person.  Let's just say that in the Currier and Ives world in my head that it reminds me of all that.  So there! :P

You can purchase the Happy Howlidays collection on Etsy.  And today is Kim's birthday, so be sure to check out the special birthday promotion going on just for today!  Happy birthday, Kim! <3

Tawdry Terrier is also having a great Black Friday promotion starting on Thanksgiving (11/28) and going through Monday (12/2) which will include free shipping on orders over $35, previously exclusive polishes for sale, and a free bonus polish with all orders of two or more polishes.  Uh...did you catch that "previously exclusive" part?  Four words:  Harvest Moon Possum Hunt.  It has the distinction of being my favorite polish of the entire YEAR.

I hope you have a lovely evening and a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I am thankful for so many things in my life, including you all! <3

Simply Elegant: Sally Hansen Satin Glam Go Gold

Hey everybody!  Has your weekend been a good one? :)  After church today, I went to Ulta to redeem my Level *cough* 6 rewards certificate, and of course I had to wander around and look at the polish displays.  And what has happened this week with all these crazy new mainstream polish collections??  I saw a 3-part Sally Hansen display that read "texture three ways" and included nail polish strips, Sugar Shimmers (a shimmery, modified version of the Sugar Coat texture line), and a collection called Satin Glam.  When I read that Satin Glam's description was "a satin ribbon on your nails", I was sold. :D

This is the very elegant Go Gold.  Simple name, much like the polish...simply elegant.

 

Isn't this pretty?  Satin Glam Go Gold is a soft, muted gold.  Sally Hansen's website says that Satin Glam polishes are infused with pearl particles, so this gives the color a lovely glow.

Application was exceptionally easy and mistake-proof.  The polish applies very shimmery and dries to a smooth sheen.  It was completely opaque with two thin coats.  The dry time was pretty long...it probably took an hour for the polish to not dent on me.

The Satin Glam finish is unlike other suede finishes I've seen because of the pearly base...so fancy! :)

Well, color me astonished...this makes three (3) mainstream/drugstore collections  THIS WEEK that have totally impressed me.  There are eight colors in the Satin Glam line...not very unusual colors, but given the unique finish, I'm sure they would be a gorgeous twist on any color. :)

Have you seen the Sally Hansen Satin Glams yet?  And more importantly, what Ulta rewards level are YOU this quarter?? :P

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day!

L'Oreal Does Texture: Color Riche Gold Dust Too Dimensional?

Hey everybody!  I hope you're doing great tonight. :)  Don't you love it when you need to make a trip to Rite Aid for something medicinal and peruse the cosmetics and find something you weren't expecting?  I had not known of the existence of a L'Oreal Gold Dust textured polish collection...but there it was, in all its glory, gleaming and sparkling and looking all luscious.  I wanted them AWL but picked out the one that had me written all over it (that would be weird-leaning unusual):  Too Dimensional?

Nope, your eyes are not deceiving you.  Too Dimensional? is about as pretty as it gets in the ofttimes inundated world o' texture.  The Gold Dust collection is one seriously awesome bunch of polishes.  This makes the second drugstore collection in one week that has blown me away. 

Too Dimensional? is a lighter, slightly grey purple with an insane gold shimmer.  The color looks like an amethyst collided with pyrite to create the fabulous mythical stone amethrite!! :D  The texture is the consistency of the Julie G Frosted Gumdrops and has the same overall appearance, which is very glittery.  You can even see flashes of violet blue.

If you are familiar with the L'Oreal Color Riche polishes, you'll remember that the brush is squared off at the end...well, in the Gold Dust line, the brush is still square-ended, but it's also wider for some reason, so be careful if you're like me and have nail beds only slighter wider than Barbie's.  Other than that, the application was a breeze, and I had no cleanup at all.

In order to stress just how much this polish twinkles, I felt the need to post the all-telling blurred bottle shot.  Feel free to bask in its glowing nimbus.

Death by sparkle.  What a way to go!

The L'Oreal Color Riche Gold Dust collection is amazingly beautiful - all 9 of them.  I should add that if you don't have Julie G polishes in your area, be on the lookout for L'Oreal's exquisite Pop the Bubbles, which is almost identical to the exquisite Julie G Rock Candy.

You need these.  That is all.

Oh, foul wallet!  Why doth thou persist in being so humble??

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely evening! <3

Maybelline Color Show Brocades: Gilded Rose

Hey everybody!  Look!  I managed to take off my beloved Ruby Refined.  It was hard, considering how lovely it was...and it didn't even match my outfit today, so that's really saying a lot. :)  So, as promised, I have for your enjoyment my other purchase from the Maybelline Color Show Brocades collection:  Gilded Rose.

I just fell in love with this little number when I saw it...even my hubby chose this as his 2nd favorite (after Ruby Refined).  It's girly and ethereal and fairytale princess-esque.

Gilded Rose is, as you can see, quite gilded.  It's a very reflective metallic gold loaded with pale pink glitter.
The combination of pale pink and gold feels almost antique...but it's so GOLD that I don't think the Victorians were quite this ostentatious. :D

I applied three coats of Gilded Rose because I could see some visible nail line with two, and I wanted you all to experience that fancy wrapping paper effect these Brocades have!  I only used one coat of top coat...but I'm thinking I'll slap on another before I head to the office tomorrow...

So...do you agree with me that the Maybelline Color Show Brocades are pretty special?  I thought so!!  I purchased my Brocades at Rite Aid, but I'm not sure where else they are available.  Maybe Princesses-R-Us? :P

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

Maybelline Color Show Brocades: Ruby Refined

Hey everybody!  When is the last time you saw a mainstream polish collection...make that a DRUGSTORE polish collection...and wanted the whole thing?  It's happened to me.  The Maybelline Color Show Brocades collection is the prettiest mainstream polish I've seen all year.  I picked up two of them over the weekend, but I wish I'd gotten them all, especially AFTER I looked at my receipt and noticed that Rite Aid did NOT advertise that they were buy one get one half off. :/

I asked my ever-obliging hubby Brian to pick out his favorite, and he chose Ruby Refined, an elegant crimson with a dash of pink.

Ruby Refined is gloriously metallic, almost reflective, and much more so than the photos show.  This polish looks just like Christmas wrapping paper...you know, the expensive rolls that aren't sold in the huge cardboard boxes for $1.99 apiece.

The glitter in Ruby Refined is a mix of red and pink in the same hues as the polish base.  The overall look is truly like brocade fabric, satiny and luxe.

I have read some reports that the Brocades collection chips immediately after application.  I put this on early this morning over Duri Rejuvacote...this is 2 coats with 2 coats of top coat.  As you can see, I had some tip wear (typical for me) but no chips.  Since I change my polish almost daily, I think I can live with the risk of a chip.  I mean...look at this stuff!!

Ruby Refined is indeed a luxurious, elegant, and refined looking polish.  I hope it continues to play nicely with me and not be an awful chipper...that would seriously blow the whole image, huh?  May as well pick up that roll of $1.99 camouflage wrapping paper while I'm at it...

I will show you the other Brocades polish I purchased if I can ever bring myself to take this one off. :D

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! <3

Raspberry Rainbow: Liquid Lacquer Tea For One

Hey everybody!  I hope you are having a great weekend so far...I'm getting ready to go off and spend a couple of days with my hubby. <3

I wanted to wear a low maintenance polish for my trip, and holos always seem to be very agreeable on me as far as chipping and tip wear all those annoying things that bedevil my nails.  So this was the perfect opportunity to try out a polish I got a couple of months ago during a big Liquid Lacquer sale, Tea For One.

Isn't this a lovely shade of purply pink?  The holo is not a crazy strong linear, but it's there.  And I just love the name.   But gosh, wouldn't you WANT company for tea whilst wearing this lovely polish?  I'd throw a whole tea party just to show off  :D

One thing I really like about holo polish is how indoors it looks sort of dusty, but then you turn your hand, and it bursts into a rainbow. :)  A split personality in a polish is so much more palatable than one in a human! :P

I used 3 coats of Tea For One for the photos.  The application was smooth with no dragging and no cleanup.

I hesitated about posting this today...some of you may have seen the drama going on about Liquid Lacquer.  Her shop is closed right now due to personal issues and her Facebook page is getting...uh...animated? :)  But...in the end I decided to post anyway because this polish is JUST SO PRETTY, and I am a big fan of Liquid Lacquer polishes period.

So I'm sure you can see that holding this one back would have been totally selfish of me.  I really hope Liquid Lacquer is up and running again soon!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely and safe weekend! <3

A Lovely Legend: China Glaze Atlantis

Hey everybody!  S-C-R-A-T-C-H...did you just hear that?  That was the sound of a polish being officially marked off my wishlist as being MINE now. :)  China Glaze Atlantis is a polish that has captivated me for a while, mainly because it goes along with the mermaid/fantasty/oceanic/teal/whatever theme that I just love.

Can you see why Atlantis disappeared?  There was too much awesomeness going on, and the whole city had to go into hiding for fear that the swells of humanity would descend upon its borders to soak up all the awesome.

Atlantis is a "specialty shade" from 2009...I love the fact that, like the city of Atlantis, this glittering relic disappeared, and now you have to go hunt for it! :)

Atlantis is a light teal jelly, and it's absolutely packed with the most delicious holographic glitter you ever saw.  I used two coats but probably could have used three to help with the visible nail line, but you can hardly see it in real life.  It dries pretty gritty, so you do need a thick coat (or two) of top coat.

DO NOT ADJUST YOUR MONITOR...

What do you think of Atlantis?  I found this not-so-sea-logged treasure on Amazon.  It really isn't even that difficult to find.  So...just take that as your orders to go look this one up if you haven't already!!

Atlantis is a true "mermaid" polish without the mermaid moniker.  All this look needs to be complete is Sebastian the crab.

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

Understated Elegance: China Glaze Strike Up a Cosmo

Hey everybody!  How has your weekend been?  Mine was good...my sister is a volunteer at the county animal shelter, and yesterday she and I took a sweet little dog on a three and a half hour road trip to go live with his new owner.  Nick, a Miniature Pinscher mix, was an adorable boy, but my goodness, did that little dude ever smell bad.  He hadn't gotten a bath since he'd been at the shelter...Melanie and I were dying laughing because it was so bad.  I never thought a car ride with a thoroughly smelly pooch could be so hilarious. :D

But on a MUCH more elegant note, today I have a polish from the China Glaze Autumn Nights collection that has completely stolen my foil-loving heart.  I pretty much fell in love with the whole Autumn Nights collection, but one of my favorites was Strike Up a Cosmo, a gorgeous, golden lavender-pink.

Look at that beautiful rose gold color!  UGH, I love this.  It sparkles and glistens and looks ever so Christmas party-ish. :)

I used 2 effortless coats for the photos...true to typical foil application, you pretty much can't mess this one up.  What a huge plus this always is in my world of kindergarten paint jobs. :D

This polish reminds me so much of the holiday season...I think it's the faint resemblance to sugar plums or something Victorian.  Uh, does anybody know what I'm talking about, or do I just need some cocoa and a good night's sleep? :P  

See?  Look!  Strike Up a Cosmo is all ready for the punch and presents!  Wow...I hadn't realized I was THIS ready for Christmas season...

And I have a question for you all:  I have read that so many people just detested the Autumn Nights collection, but I am crazy about it.  Am I in the minority?  Becoming unfashionable?  Reading the wrong blogs?  Wait...I guess that was technically three questions, huh...

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely evening! 

Fall Favorites: China Glaze Harvest Moon

Hey everybody!  Do you have a polish that never ceases to amaze you every time you revisit it?  That's how I feel about today's post polish!  You all know I don't like orange...but add a dash of bronze or copper, and we'll talk. ;)  China Glaze Harvest Moon is, in my humble opinion, the epitome of an autumn polish. <3

AHHH...it always gets me, this polish.  It's so stinkin' pretty.  Harvest Moon was one of the many lovely offerings from the 2012 Hunger Games collection.  Wow...now that was a great collection. :)

One of my favorite traits of Harvest Moon is the wonderful application.  It applies like a foil (you can't mess it up!!), but I suppose it's technically a metallic shimmer...make than an extreme shimmer.  This is an October forest of fiery-colored leaves in a bottle.

I applied 3 coats of Harvest Moon for the photos *just* to make sure the visible nail line went bye-bye.  I didn't want that to distract my readers from this amazingly fantastic color and shimmer!

I thought the entire Hunger Games collection looked perfect for fall, even though the movie was released in March.  Oh well!  Hey, speaking of which, are you all excited about the release of Catching Fire??  I am...it was my favorite book of the trilogy!  TEAM PEETA!! :D

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day and a safe weekend! <3