Grass Green Comparisons: Zoya, China Glaze, Nicole by OPI

Hey everybody!  Well, much to my dismay, it's spring.  And with it come pollen and lots of growing things that have no mercy on my allergies.  So I decided to do a nice springtime comparison today, minus the hay fever.  I've got three different grassy greens for your viewing pleasure. :)

First up is Zoya Meg, a foil polish that you could, quite honestly, apply in the dark.  Okay.  Maybe that wasn't *entirely* honest.  But my point is that Zoya's foils are so wonderfully forgiving...in fact, I tend to reach for them when I'm tired and my eyes aren't focusing quite right.

Meg is a medium grass green from the 2012 Surf collection that ensnared me completely.  She is very shimmery and has a yellow undertone, but I won't hold that against her.  I used 2 coats of Meg for full coverage.

Next I have China Glaze Paper Chasing, a more subtle shimmer that's a kelly green.  It's the color of the legendary Crayola crayon called "Green", back when crayons were named actual color names, as opposed to "Dragon Guts"  or "Fat Caterpillar" or something of that ilk.

Paper Chasing is a bit on the sheer side, so I used three coats and still had Mr. Troublemaker Who Shall Remain Nameless peeking through.  For some reason, though, the VNL doesn't bother me with this polish.  It's just so pretty and I can't stay perturbed at it.  It's also got a great formula.

Well, if Paper Chasing was a bit sheer, Nicole by OPI Make Mine Lime is cheesecloth.  Another grassy-hued hard shimmer with just a *hint* of chartreuse, Make Mine Lime is so sheer that I had to use FOUR coats to achieve the amazing lack of opacity you see before you. :)

Yet, it IS lime.  It's quite summery, and the shimmer is really pretty in this.  I just don't know how many people would have the patience to put it multiple coats just to assure themselves that they hadn't mistakenly reached for a topper. :/

So there you have it...three grass greens that are as different as rye, centipede, and St. Augustine. :)  Are you all glad to see spring here?  You are??!!  UGH!  WHY?!! :P

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

Sally Hansen Lustre Shines: Scarab and Lava

 
Hey everybody!  I don't know anybody who doesn't just plain love Sally Hansen Lustre Shines.  They have been around since 2012 but have apparently been a popular part of Sally Hansen's line.  And it's easy to see why...Lustre Shines are shimmeringly fantastic!  I picked up Lava when the line was first introduced.

Lava is a *very* shimmery, pink-to-bronze duochrome glass fleck.  And yes, I couldn't seem to capture the true amount of pink in this polish because the shimmer was blowing it all to smithereens.  It's there though, and in large quantities too.  These seriously must be the worst ever pics of Lava.  My camera was just not having any of it. Apparently, it's sick of taking pics of all these pinks. :)

I used 3 coats of Lava for the pics because Mr. You-Know-Who forced me to.  I love, love, LOVE the interesting color and overall look of Lava, but I always seem to have one problem with it:  it ends up looking almost grainy on me and wears off my tips within no time.  BUT, trouper that I am, I always find the fortitude to soldier on in the midst of imperfection and wear it anyway. :D

I had been threatening to get Scarab for a long time, and I finally picked it up one day whilst polish shopping with Mr. Sweets.  Nope, he didn't choose it for me.  It's not red, silly! :P

No, it's not red...but a teal most FABULOUSSSSHHHHH!  And don't even get me started on that shimmer.  Oh, okay.  The shimmer is blinding!!  This mess is super reflective too, *almost* mirror-like.  I know that's hard to imagine.  Remember my post about OPI Into the Night being so shimmery it stung your eyes in the sunlight?  Scarab is the same way.

I used 3 coats of Scarab for full coverage.  It doesn't have the grainy look that Lava has at all.  Scarab is an absolutely beautiful metallic, but there's one problem with it:  I sent in a search party to find the duochrome, and they haven't returned yet.  Oh well.  I would be bummed if I was one of the duochrome girls.  But as fortune would have it, I happen to be a shimmer girl!  YAY!!  So it doesn't bug me that there is no duochrome (okay, maybe a tiny bit of gold going on) because Scarab is too pretty to hold a non-duochrome grudge against it. 

Do you own any Lustre Shines?  My advice is to not buy Scarab for the color shift, but for the color period.  And my other advice is to just ignore my extremely non-pink photos of Lava and buy it. :)

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

Blogger Bud Love!! Hare Polish Pegasus

Hey everybody!  Yes, I have been suspiciously absent over here at the Reverie.  I have been doing some coursework that has left me not a whole lot of time for the blog this week.  Oh, and my cuticles are like an obnoxious CRUST that I shall blame on tax season.  Why not?  Grrrrrr...but I simply HAD to do a post about the lovely present I received from my dear blogging bud Christine of Polished Marvels.  She sent me not one, but TWO of my wish list polishes all the way from Switzerland. <3

Christine gave me a heads up that she was sending a package and had accidentally left out her handwritten note (that she found on her table when she got home from the post office).  She told me that she "tore the note to shreds in despair" when she discovered this, LOLOL!  Well, of course I couldn't wait to see what was in my package, and I was completely surprised to receive Hare Polish Pegasus! <3

Pegasus just looks so fairytale-esque.  It's soft and girly, but it's magically sparkly as well.  Something about this polish brings to mind Medieval jousting tournaments and pennants snapping in the breeze.  And fair ladies wearing braids and conical hennins. :)  What?  Sleeping Beauty was my favorite Disney movie! :P

Pegasus is a grey-lavender crelly loaded in silver glitter of varying sizes.  The glitter is very shiny and reflective.  I used three coats of Pegasus to get complete coverage, and it applied smoothly with no glitter issues...except that whole super-shiny thing. :)  The color is more grey in real life than in the photos.  It's quite unusual and I really love it.

So we have another beauty marked off the wish list, thanks to a very sweet and thoughtful friend.  Oh, and speaking of SWEET, look what else my favorite Swiss Miss included in my package:

Yeah.  Blogging buds are the best. Thanks again, Christine.  And thank you all for stopping by! :)

 

The Blogger Made Me Do It...and Then She Had a Giveaway!

Hey everybody!  It's time for yet another episode of blaming another blogger for my polish shopping.  It's been a while, and I KNOW you're just dying to know whose fault this heavily-influenced purchase is. :)

I have been perfectly enamored of butter LONDON Cake-Hole ever since my fabulously glamorous friend Liesl of Liesl Loves Pretty Things showcased it.  Yes, I am aware of its indecisive coral-pink status.  I remember quite well how sometimes BL's formula and I don't get along.  But that's just how good Liesl is.  She made me want this polish so badly.  I read her review of it several times, just imagining how ultra cool that rubberized finish would feel on my nails!  So when butter LONDON had their half price sale, there it was...for $7.50!!  In was in my shopping cart before you could say, "You should get Giddy Kipper instead..."

Everything looked so flawless on Liesl.  How was I to know Cake-Hole, an almost neon pink, would turn ORANGE on me??

Yes, readers...you are seeing this right.  Look at that beautiful bottle shot.  Then look at my nails.  Two different colors, and one of 'em ain't pretty.  I LOVE the rubberized finish on this...just LOVE it!!  And it dries in no time flat!  But I used THREE coats of Cake-Hole, and Mr. VaNeLi just laughed at me.  It's way worse in person, too.  And he's still laughing at me...probably because I've been wearing this polish for exactly ONE hour, and one of my tips just peeled slap off.  Gone.  WHYYYYYYYY??

I have nothing else to say, other than I'm giving up...and probably giving this one to my little sis.  Don't try talking me off the ledge.

Blast you, Cake-Hole!!!

Wait.  On second thought, I do have something else to say...and that's Happy 2 Year Blogoversary to Liesl Loves Pretty Things!! :)  All complaining about Cake-Hole aside, the point of my post was to show you what a fantastic blogger my dear friend Liesl is.  Always erudite, warmly witty, and perfectly photographed...that is Liesl, and she has a true talent for making pretty polish look even prettier.  I am so thankful and happy to call this sweet girl my friend, even if she lives all the way across the country. <3  Liesl is having a great giveaway to celebrate her blog birthday, with several of her blogging buds participating.  There will be 2 winners...so what are you waiting for??  Enter away, and good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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

Saturday Night Smackdown: Indigo!! OPI vs. L'Oreal

Hey everybody!  In the mood for some more brutal battles for the fabulous title of...uh...favorite nail polish color? :)  I don't know about you, but I love me some indigo shades.  I'm not talking about blurples; while I love blurples, they are mostly purple with a tinge of blue.  Today I'm talking about blues with a tinge of purple.  I hope that clears it up.  BUT, in case it doesn't, here are today's contenders!!

In the OPI corner, representing The Amazing Spider-Man collection 2012, is a shimmery goodie that's SO shimmery, my camera lens went nuts:  Into the Night!  *rahhhhhhhh*

When I picked up Into the Night from the Ulta clearance rack, I had forgotten the reviews I'd read about how sheer it is.  I used FOUR coats to banish Mr. VaNeLi..  I'm not gonna lie...this is a weird polish.  It's like a frost, but it isn't like a frost.  It's not brushstroke-prone, but there is so much silver shimmer that you simply have to call it a frost.  I could not get a pic of this polish that did not convey anything less than a glowing nimbus.  But even with its strange qualities, this is one beautiful polish!  It's a denim blue color with a slight indigo undertone.  AND I put this on last night, got up this morning and groomed both my puppies and shampooed my hair, and I had ZERO tip wear.  Yes, reader, you read that right.  Well done, OPI.

Aaaaaaand next we have in the L'Oreal corner, representing Electric Fantasie Project Runway 2012, is The Mystic's Fortune! *rahhhhhhhh*

I have to say that I don't know WHY these two polishes were so hard to photograph.  Ugh.  Anyway, The Mystic's Fortune is a true indigo metallic with a lot of blue shimmer, but not so much that it morphs into a frost (a la Into the Night).  I used two coats, and the application was very good.  I really love the color of this polish.  It leans a bit bluer than the photos...about *this* close to navy, but with enough violet in it to not actually BE navy.  I think this makes a nice alternative to wearing black IF you feel funny about wearing black. :)

So...what do you think?  Which one has your vote?  I'm torn on this one...I think I'm going for L'Oreal for the color.  And OPI for that fantastic wear time! :P

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

Plum Pretty!! butter LONDON Prince's Plums

Hey everybody!  Who is ready for the weekend?  Hmmm...that's funny, so am I! :D  And so on this fabulous Friday, I have a beautiful polish to show you.

A couple of weeks ago, butter LONDON did a terrible thing:  they had a half-price sale on a TON of polishes.  Oh well.  I might have bought...a couple?  I spotted Prince's Plums, which was previously a Nordstrom's exclusive, and was intrigued by it.  Then I heard it..."Melissaaaaaaaaa..." :)

I love this polish.  Goodness gracious, it's pretty.  It even wowed my hard-to-impress Mom.  It's blurple in the bottle, but on the nail it's a fantastic metallic purple with a strong red shift.  And don't even get me started on the abundant blue shimmer.  Taken together it's perfectly plum-colored.  Wow, go figure! :P

I used 3 coats of Prince's Plums to get an even application.  I had no problems with flooding, but it had a tendency to look patchy in spots, so a third coat fixed that problem nicely.  In direct sunlight, you can see a lot of blue in this.  I think it's a unique color and completely wonderful. <3  But alas, I had the same problem I've had before with BL...and no, not the shameless chipping of the Knight Who Shall Remain Nameless...tip wear.  BUTTER LONDON, WHY DO YOU HATE ME???  *Sigh.* 

Okay, I'm over it.  Wow...did I mention how much I love Prince's Plums?? :D

Do you have the pleasure of owning this plumtastic shade yourself?  Prince's Plums is easily one of my favorite purple shades EVER.  Some things are worth the tip wear. :)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! 

Sally Hansen Triple Shine: Red Snapper and Wavy Blue

Hey everybody!  How is Monday going for you so far?  Mine is going well, and I'm eating Olive Garden leftovers as I type this, so that makes it even better. :D  Today I am finally posting about a couple of Sally Hansen Triple Shine polishes I purchased a couple of months ago.  I was pretty excited to see the Triple Shine line come out, because there are so many colors and finishes going on there.   And well, everybody loves shiny!  Except for the ones who love matte...then I am afraid I can't help you there...

Guess who picked out Red Snapper for me?  Yes!!  My hubby. :)  A combination of the color and the name of a fish had him sold. 

Red Snapper is a warm-toned, VERY bright, orange-red crelly.  It's also more watery than my eyes in a field of ragweed.  I was having trouble with this formula going everywhere. :/  I'd pick up just a little on my brush (or so I thought) and then out of nowhere, this enormous drip would rain down and create a cuticle moat.  But it is very shiny, as you can see! :)  I used 3 coats.

Of course, you all know that if my hubby picked out a red, then I naturally had to go for blue. :)  I chose a beautiful royal blue shimmer called Wavy Blue.

The formula on Wavy Blue was much friendlier to me and my preschool painting skills.  This one refused to mess up, which I loved.  The shimmer in this one is really outstanding.  I used 3 coats, but as you can see, I still have Mr. VaNeLi stalking me.  Blast.

Something I have noticed about the Triple Shine line is that though they are very shiny (like the name suggests!), they are prone to more-than-usual tip wear.  I have been wearing Wavy Blue for about 20 hours, during which 7 of them I was sleeping, and I have tip wear on every finger. :(  I wonder why that is...

Do you have any of the Triple Shines, and if so, what do you think about them?  

My leftovers are now finished, as is my review.  Thanks for reading, and have a lovely day! <3

Saturday Night Smackdown: PINK!! OPI vs. Barielle

Hey everybody!  Is everybody having a pleasantly peaceful weekend?  Good.  Now how about a bloody, fearsome battle to the death, where you, the spectator, get to decide who lives and who doesn't??!  Oh, okay.  So it's not *that* bad.  It's more like "vote for your favorite pink."  Heh heh...

I have amassed quite a fortune of pinks in the last year...amazing feat, considering that when I first started blogging, I had very few and considered pinks to be one of my least favorite nail colors.  My, what a difference a few months make! :D  I love pinks, especially those pure pink shades wholly unadulterated by the stench of coral. :P  So take a look at today's contestants and vote for your favorite!

In the OPI corner, representing Holland 2012, we have Pedal Faster Suzi!  *rahhhhhhhhhhhhhh*

I think everybody in creation owns this polish, and I can now call myself one of said everybody after snagging this one in a recent blog sale.  Pedal Faster Suzi is a sheer baby pink...and I mean really sheer...with an insane silver shimmer.  I had to use 3 coats of this one, and as you can see, Mr. VaNeLi is still strutting around like he owns the joint.  *Sigh*.  But Pedal Faster Suzi is SOOO pretty...it brings to mind spring flowers, Easter dresses, and that clean baby smell.  What...too much caffeine?
 

Tough competition to be sure...so let's introduce our opposing contender...in the Barielle corner, representing Brilliant 2013, is The Pink of Fashion!  *rahhhhhhhhhhhhhh*

The Pink of Fashion is a straight-up creme with Barielle's impeccable creme formula.  It's such a perfect Barbie pink that Ken might get confused and show up at YOUR dream house by accident.  Apparently, The Pink of Fashion has been retired and isn't *technically* in the Brilliant collection, but there is another pink in that collection called Smarty Pants that looks a whole bunch like it. :)  I applied 2 effortless coats of The Pink of Fashion.

So who gets your vote??  Will it be the barely-there pink with loads of shimmer, or the bubblegum pink creme?  As for me, although I adore my shimmers, I am going with The Pink of Fashion. <3

Thanks for reading, and have a lovely rest of your weekend! :)