Sally Hansen Plumtarius and Age of Aquarius

Hey everybody!  My, the title of this post sounds like it could be a Dr. Seuss book. 

Tonight I'm showing you a couple more drugstore finds from a Mr. Sweets Polish Shopping Weekend from last spring.  Sally Hansen released a Complete Salon Manicure limited collection called Beachside Astrologer that I have seen exactly one (1) time...anywhere.  Now that's limited.  This collection is made up of 12 (of course) shades representing each zodiacal sign.

I, being the utterly predictable sort that I am, was immediately drawn to Plumtarius.

Plumtarius is a blue-leaning purple creme with an excellent formula.  This color is slightly dusty.  Although it was released in a spring collection, it is easily appropriate for fall.  Very nice.

The moon is in the seventh house...Jupiter has aligned with Mars...more hippie stuff...and it's the dawning of the Age of Aquarius!  You twenty-somethings have no idea what I just said, do you? :)

Age of Aquarius is a blue-leaning jade green creme that also has that lovely, dusty autumn feel to it.  And Age of Aquarius makes me look only 23% crustacean!  Greasy bottle thumbprint and paper cut not included.

The very elusive Beachside Astrologer collection had some very nice offerings, some classic colors with a bit of twist.  Complete Salon Manicure, in my opinion, has consistently good formulas and continues to impress me with application and wear time.  I hope I run into this horoscope again someday!

Thanks for reading, and have a lovely day! 

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Mauve Matter

Hey everybody!  Happy first day of October!  I love October, in theory.  It always seems like it should be cool weather, even though it's not.  As a matter of fact, I'm sweating as I type this. :/

Tonight I wanted to show you another recent drugstore find by Sally Hansen.  I had never seen the Insta-Dri Mattes before a couple of weeks ago, but I think they've been floating around before now.  I was curious and picked up Mauve Matter, a rather strange little number.  I was also curious to see what the finish on these was like.

Mauve Matter is a pale, pink-nude beige that for some reason gave me angry fingers.  I don't think it's serious enough to deter me from wearing it again, though.  This is a really lovely non-color color.  

I like Insta-Dri polishes because they apply well and...well, dry instantly. :)  The matte version was no exception.  I used two coats and the result was smooth.  Smooth like ceramic...that's how this feels, not satin like other matte polishes I've used.  Just imagine an eggshell without those tiny bumps.  Very cool.

I found my Insta-Dri Matte at Walgreens, and now I wish I'd picked up that unusual blue in the collection.  My only problem with Mauve Matter is the name...to me, it just sounds like something you need eye drops to clear up. :P  Oh, and I should add that I've been wearing this for over 24 hours, and everything is still in place!

Are you a fan of matte polishes?  Do you prefer a darker or a pale matte?  And most importantly, what was YOUR high temperature on this first day of October? :)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! 

Sally Hansen XTreme Wear Indi-Glow

Hey everybody!  You may have guessed that life has gotten a wee bit busy for me lately.  If you did guess that, you'd be correct! :D  I have some hefty things on the horizon, namely taking care of my Mom after knee replacement surgery next week.  I wanted to try to squeeze in a post before things got too crackers...so how about a super-pretty jelly?

Sally Hansen XTreme Wear Indi-Glow kinda sneaked up on me.  I have only seen this in one Walgreens, ever.  I wasn't sure if it would be as pigmented as it looks in the bottle, when I opened it up and pulled out the brush, I knew I had to have it. :)

Isn't this pretty?  Indi-Glow is a true indigo, a deep violet blue full of delightfully squishy attributes.  It's also full of color-changing glitter that was impossible to capture on film.  Just look at the bottle shot, and that's what it looks like on the nail.  I'm wearing three coats, and application was pretty much perfect.

Of course, you know I'm always singing the blues (uh, no pun intended) when it comes to my jelly tip wear.  It's just always there, much like my famous non-friend, Mr. VaNeLi.  Indi-Glow isn't this transparent in real life either.  And it's crazy how the photos just don't show the plethora of glitter in this polish.  I guess you could say this photographic journey a la jelly was a total flop.

But I DID manage to get a pseudo-decent macro shot that (somehow) shows all the glitter.  Okay...just imagine this glitter not only being abundant, but glowing and color-changing as well! :D

Well.  Best thing I can say about this post is that my cuticles look fairly good.  You all might be glad you won't see me next week. :P

Indi-Glow is a part of the XTreme Wear Limited Edition Spring 2014 line.  I highly recommend it for anybody who is addicted to jellies! 

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you all very soon. <3

The Blogger Made Me Do It: Sally Hansen Open Mica Night

Hey everybody!  I know you all are ready for my special little blame game in which I don't accept responsibility for my polish buying.  Today's guilty culprit is Yadi of Night Swatcher!  I am not usually somebody who is drawn to glitter toppers, but when I saw Sally Hansen Open Mica Night on Yadi's blog, well...I knew it should be mine.  After all, she specifically said we needed it in our lives. :)

YIKES!!  It's holo AND square!!  What a gor-gee-ous topper Open Mica Night is.  Look at that bottle shot!!  This lovely glitter spread well, but since it's so chunky, it needed a little help with landing in all the right places. ;)

I dabbed on Open Mica Night over Nicole by OPI Back to Reality...TV, which is a rather strange little number.  It's a dusty, deep periwinkle with a sludgy look about it, and it's got a pink shimmer.  It's very unusual, but I like it.  I debated on using such a flashy topper as Open Mica Night over it because of the shimmer, but I love the result.  Rule #3:  Shimmer makes the world a happier place!

Now, once more, let the colors and flash assault your eyes!!

AND...let me add one more thing to the awesomeness of this mani:  I used OPI's new Glitter Off as my base coat, so no worries about busting out the old foil tonight when I change.  I have read some negative reviews about Glitter Off, but I have to tell you that it works fantastically with my chemistry.  So, if you're like me, and butter LONDON chips like crazy on you, check out Glitter Off for all your non-foil, glitter-friendly needs! :)

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

Sally Hansen Triple Shine, Chapter 3

Hey everybody!  Here am I, back yet again with some super-shiny prize winnings. :D  Tonight I'm continuing my Sally Hansen Triple Shine post series with two really pretty cremes.

First up is Pixie Slicks, a delicate baby pink. 

Pixie Slicks is a charming little pink that's truly pink...and it doesn't have that vague coral-ish look about it that annoys me to no end. :)  Formula on this was good.  I used three coats, which I've had to do on the Triple Shines in my attempts to...well, you know the story. 

Next I have a color that really made an impression on me, and for a couple of reasons: Statemint.  One reason is because this is plainly not mint.  It's chartreuse.  The other reason is because it IS chartreuse, and I LOVE it.  I love the way this looks.

Why do I love this?  I think it's because it offers all the brightness of yellow without actually being yellow. There is just enough to green in there to make it really interesting.  I used 3 coats of the decidedly not-minty Statemint.

Fun fact:  Statemint is the exact color of a banana pepper.  See?

Better than my famous food analogies...it's PROOF!!

So, do you like the latest installment of Triple Shine colors?  And how are you feeling about Statemint? 

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

Sally Hansen Triple Shine, Chapter 2

Hey everybody!  I hope this week is going well for you. :)  My sister Melanie and I recently won a fantastic prize of 16 Sally Hansen Triple Shines in a photography contest, and I have some to show you today.  I've already posted about Red Snapper and Wavy Blue, so today's post is a continuation.  And now that I have so many, I'll probably continue even more. :P

Let's dive right into it, shall we?  What an awesome segue...first off I have Dive In! 

Ahhhhh, isn't it lovely??  Dive In is a turquoise blue cream that is probably my favorite of all the Triple Shines.  It's just so happy.  And for all you girls who just LOVE the arrival of spring, this is definitely a springy polish.  I am still a bit surprised that I don't have this color already, but I don't.  I used two coats of Dive In.

Next I have Kelp Out, which is a medium green crelly.  This is a really nice color that I could have posted about in my grassy green comparison if I hadn't wanted to keep my Triple Shines separate.  The formula was easy to work with but a little thin for my desire to avoid Mr. VaNeLi, so I used three coats.

And in case you were wondering, Kelp Out is quite the shiny little number.  And I know my coloring looks a little strange(r) in these pics, but I wanted to capture Kelp Out correctly. :)

There are several glitter toppers in the Triple Shine line.  I layered Sparks Fly, a silver/blue glitter combo, over Kelp Out...and I'm kinda loving this look.  It's like Swamp Thing goes to Vegas.  This is one coat of Sparks Fly, and the formula was very good on this one.

And if Dive In is my favorite Triple Shine, Flame On has got to be a *very* close second. 

Flame On is a BEAUTEOUS hot pink metallic with a subtle shimmer.  And it looks just like shiny vinyl on the nail!  Seriously...you see a teensy weensy bit of brushtroke stuff in the pics, but you cannot see any in real life.  It's just like you wrapped your nails in plastic.  LOVE!!  I used three coats of Flame On for opacity.

I love the application and colors of Triple Shines, but I have the same problem will all of them:  inordinate tip wear.  I don't get it.  Have you all tried any, and what has your experience been with them?  Is it just me having these issues??

Stay tuned for more Triple Shines in all their glory!  Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! :)

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

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

Sally Hansen Satin Glam: Taffeta and Teal Tulle

Hey everybody!  Today I thought I would grace you with another post chronicling my love affair with the Satin Glam line by Sally Hansen. :D  I did a post on Go Gold a few weeks ago...but I just had to go back to Ulta and pick up a couple more of these beautiful polishes.  They are just so festive.  And WOW are they pretty! :)

First up is the color that happens to be the same hue as Pantone's newly named color of the year for 2014.  Feast your eyes on the loveliness that is Taffeta!

Taffeta is a medium orchid purple with a bit of warmth to it.  Sally Hansen's website says that the Satin Glam polishes are infused with pearl particles...I can believe that.  These polishes have a glow that can only be described as pearly.

I used two coats and no top coat, of course.  The finish is smooth, satiny, and absolutely elegant.

Next I have the Satin Glam that I can't believe I didn't buy in the first place, Teal Tulle.  What a beauty this is!

ARGH.  I die.  So gorgeous.  Teal Tulle is a soft, true aqua that glows like crazy under the lights.

I used two coats and no top coat.  And then I stared at it for hours and hours. :D

Application on the Satin Glams is fabulously mistake-proof.  YAY!!  This time around, I had much less of an issue with dry time than before, so I am guessing that was all weather related. 

The Satin Glams are insanely lovely polishes that I can't recommend enough.  You will love the elegant finish on these.  And let me add that if you are not a textured polish lover, the Satin Glams are sort of like a texture "lite" because you won't mess with your nails while you wear these, and of course they aren't gritty.  They are truly their own unique finish and do in fact feel like a satin ribbon. :)

I hope you're enjoying all these holiday drugstore polish posts...I am so impressed with what is coming out these days!  Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! <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!

Sally Hansen X-Treme Wear Confetti Punch

Hey everybody!  How is today treating you so far? :) 

Have you seen the new line of Sally Hansen X-Treme Wear polishes?  I've heard they are a limited edition Fall release, and I believe they're quite limited because I've only seen them in Ulta.  They are a nice mix of glitters that have that indie-esque look about them.  And for $2.99, I had to try one out!  I chose a pink jelly called Confetti Punch.

Confetti Punch was one of two, if I remember correctly, from the new line that does not have a clear base.  However, the pink jelly base is very sheer, so I layered it with my all-time favorite undies, Zoya Kendal.

Isn't this cute?  There is a LOT going on in here...the predominant glitter color is royal blue, and combined with the pink base, it gives Confetti Punch a fairy tale feel.  But there is also green and pink and a beautiful pink micro glitter.

The pink micro glitter totally makes this polish worthy of its name.  It looks like fruit juice pulp!!  Ah, go ahead and laugh...you knew the food reference was coming! ;)

Macro de Micro

And guess what?  This polish is surprisingly grown-up.  It is very glittery, but with an elegant feel.  I wore this polish to a business meeting this morning, and I looked completely appropriate...Prince Charming didn't even come around to ask me for a waltz.  Blast.

What do you think of Sally Hansen's new glitter line?  This is a very nice polish, wears well, and sells for 3 bucks.  The End.

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