Coming Around...

Hey everybody!!  Wow, I've missed you all! 

I am slowly getting back into the swing of things after my 3 month long hiatus.  So much has changed for me personally since my last blog post...I'm still trying to get over it. :/  I thought I would show you some of the things I've been wearing since June.

butter LONDON Shag - metallic and shimmery and gorgeous and chipped all over the place...

Orly Star Trooper - coffee-colored jelly and white glitter!  Yikes, it's pretty!! Oh, and this...

Zoya Payton - imagine blackberry jam where the seeds are holo.  Yep.

China Glaze Optical Illusion - my absolute favorite microglitter!

Zoya Aurora (complete with tip wear!)

I hope you all have enjoyed your summer and are ready to listen to me whine about the slow-poke arrival of our Southern autumn. :)

And a special thank you to my co-bloggers and friends Liesl, Yadi, Christine, and Emily for checking on me over the past weeks.  It means more than you know. <3

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day. 

Vintage Beautiful: butter LONDON Wallis

Hey everybody!  I hope you all have been doing well. :)  

Well, as you know it's prom season.  I have...uh...definite opinions about what girls wear to prom these days. It's like they're trying to see who can get more naked. :/  However, my lovely stepdaughter Hannah *really* outdid herself this year at her senior prom, and I wanted to show you what polish she wore...butter LONDON Wallis!  

butter LONDON Wallis???!!!!

You read that right, folks.  Hannah chose the famous (or infamous) butter LONDON Wallis for her senior prom.  Why, you might inquire, would an 18-year-old girl be wearing this color to her PROM?  Well...Hannah, being the awesome young lady she is, chose as her prom dress a vintage 1950's debutante gown.  And it happened to be the same color as Wallis. :)

Once you get over the shock of Wallis' being...well...so very Wallis...you realize it's supremely elegant.  It really is.  It's the perfect metallic mesh of olive green and gold.  (We had some curtains in the 70's this color!  They were fancy too!)  If you think about the woman for whom Wallis is named, the polarizing Wallis Simpson, you may remember all of the elegant images of her from the 1930's.  So vintage is quite the appropriate adjective here.  And I'm not kidding...you simply CANNOT get a more photogenic polish.

Hannah wore Wallis in a funky French tip, and she looked BEAUTIFUL!  I've known Hannah since she was 8, and she has always had a kind of "antique" look about her heart-shaped face...just something about her.  And she's an old soul, too.  So, this vintage ensemble was so perfect for her that she could have walked right out of 1952.  She truly had a showstopping look on prom night. :)

I'm so proud of Miss Hannah and the exemplary young lady she has become. <3

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

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

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! 

A Wonder in Glitterland: Shimmer Polish Alice

*Contains Press Sample*

Hey everybody!  Well, we in the deep south have survived a fluky weather event that only happens once in a blue moon.  And make that a periwinkle blue moon, which is even rarer. :P  I'm referring to the ice and snow that hit everywhere this past Tuesday and Wednesday.  And of COURSE, we didn't get snow (I think the snow line stopped about 2.5 feet north of us), but we got sleet.  So it's an extra special treat when I get to wear some faux fur for three whole days in a row!! :D  But get this...tomorrow's high is 75.  Grrrr.

Well it's a good thing I can always turn to some frosty-hued polish to keep me at least *looking* somewhat wintry. :)  I recently won a giveaway from the fantastic Shimmer Polish, and I was graciously asked if I would like some polishes for review as well.  One of polishes I received was Alice, a silver and holographic glitter.  I did a combo with butter LONDON Sprog that faintly reminded me of Alice's dress as she perused Wonderland...

Shimmer Alice is the loveliest stuff.  It sparkles and glistens like crazy.  

Do not adjust your monitor...look at all that holo flash! <3

I used 3 coats of butter LONDON Sprog (which happens to be a gift from a dear friend <3) for this mani.  I discovered that Sprog is on the watery side, but it's such a lovely shade of periwinkle (moon) blue. :)  I added 3 coats of Alice on my ring finger.  For the other fingers, I dabbed on Alice near the cuticle and lightly dragged my brush down the nail for the look of seriously sensational scatted snowflakes.  :)

And do you know the thing I love most about Shimmer Polish?  Even with 3 coats, the glitter was not one bit coarse, or even lumpy.  It's pretty amazing.  This is the only full coverage glitter I ever wore that was so smooth.

What do you think of Alice?  She is gorgeous!  How'd you like that I just answered for you? :D  You can purchase Alice and other amazing Shimmer Polishes on Etsy.  Just prepare for eyes for a glorious shock! 

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

*Contains Press Sample*

Comparison Post: Attack of the Murky Greens!!

Hey everybody!  I hope your Saturday has been a fantastic one!  

Earlier in the week, I did a post on Sinful Colors Classified.  It's one of those greens with a pretty serious identity crisis...it doesn't know if it wants to be green, or blue, or grey, or all of the above.  Some of my friends observed that Classified bore a resemblance to a couple of other colors out there, so I decided to do a comparison post for your enjoyment (and possibly helpful info...or maybe just curiosity?). :D

L to R:  butter LONDON Victoriana, Zoya Evvie, Sinful Colors Classified, China Glaze Elephant Walk

Who knew there were so many polishes in desperate need of therapy?  One has to wonder if these gals could even describe themselves if asked!  Let's see if we can get to the bottom of this mystery... 

 

butter LONDON Victoriana

I finally snagged this one from my wishlist! :)  Victoriana is a dusty, more-blue-than-green color with a lovely foil-like shimmer and superb application.  Greasy bottle thumbprint not included in most versions. 

Zoya Evvie

Evvie is definitely a green-grey color with only a very slight hint of blue.  As you can see, just my holding the bottle gives the whole photo a murky quality.  Evvie is a creme with a lovely application.

Sinful Colors Classified

You can read my entire (not so) Classified review here. :D  It's more blue-leaning than Evvie but not as much as Victoriana.  It's got a great creme formula with a remarkable price tag!

China Glaze Elephant Walk

I would say Elephant Walk is 50% green, 45% grey, and 5% blue.  This is one of those colors that looks different on the nail than in the bottle, and in a very good way.  I was surprised by this polish...it's a fantastic neutral with a gentle shimmer.  And that adds up to 100% gorgeous! :)





Now for some group shots!  And yes, Midget Pinky is fully aware that she looks ridiculous.  She'll be needing therapy too...

L to R:  butter LONDON Victoriana, Zoya Evvie, China Glaze Elephant Walk, Sinful Colors Classified

L to R:  butter LONDON Victoriana, Zoya Evvie, China Glaze Elephant Walk, Sinful Colors Classified

 

L to R:  Sinful Colors Classified, China Glaze Elephant Walk, Zoya Evvie, butter LONDON Victoriana

My final thoughts:  these are all four clearly not replicas (no, I will NOT use that annoying word) of each other, even though they have that same murky quality about them.  All four formulas are very good...it's just a matter of whether you like a foil, a creme, or a shimmer application best. :)  I really love all the colors and find that swamptastic shades like these look pretty good on me.  I think? :)

What do you think?  Which of these is your favorite?  

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

The Blogger Made Me Do It: butter LONDON Pistol Pink

Hey everybody!  

Today I have another post for which I'm not taking responsibility.  Okay, at least partial responsibility.  I've said before how my fellow bloggers make a certain polish look so inviting that I feel I NEED it in my life...well, today's blame goes to (drumroll please)...Yun of The Polish Hideout.  This is the second time Yun has won this dubious honor! :)  She had a post reviewing butter LONDON Pistol Pink, and my memories get all fuzzy after that.

See what I'm talking about??  How on earth could anyone resist Yun's perfect pictures of THIS polish?  The ideal raspberry pink shimmer creme was calling my name!

Pistol Pink is from the Rock Your Colour Collection.  The formula is smoother than a Frank Sinatra ballad and hides flaws like your favorite Spanx.

ARRGGH!!  I'm in love with this polish.  It's so amazingly pretty. <3  Oh, and I should add that the butter LONDON bottle is much kinder to Midget Pinky.  She doesn't struggle nearly as much for photos whilst holding it.  (See pic 1 above.)

Look at all the shimmer!!  It looks like velvet. :)

Do you have Pistol Pink?  Do you love it as I do?  I snagged mine in the Ulta buy 2 get 1 free sale that's currently going on. :)

I hope you have a wonderful day!  Stay tuned in the future for lots more reports of taking very little responsibility for my lack of willpower.  There's plenty of blame to go around! :D

Comparison: butter LONDON The Black Knight and Hard Candy Bite of Black

Hey everybody!  Welcome to the weekend! :)  Today I have for you a comparison post about which I am particularly excited.  About a month ago I was in Wal-Mart perusing the nail polish, namely the Hard Candy nail polish.  I spotted several new things from a new fall line, including a new Itzy Glitzy offering that looked remarkably like butter LONDON's The Black Knight.

My heart leaped.  Could this actually be a replacement for the guy who has treated me so infernally in the past?  It was as if he was waiting for me...Hard Candy Bite of Black.

I know what you're thinking.  His name isn't very elegant.  He's a $4 cheapo.  But don't judge!!  Okay, I'll admit that a suit of armor is more my style than vampires and Harleys, but just see for yourself!  I used 2 coats of each on alternating nails.

L to R: Bite of Black, The Black Knight, Bite of Black, The Black Knight

The Black Knight looks to have a *slightly* more pigmented black jelly base.  The glitter is a tiny bit finer as well.

L to R: Bite of Black, The Black Knight, Bite of Black, The Black Knight

Okay, let's talk application.  That's the area that's important to this girl.  Bite of Black wins.  The polish didn't have that gooey-stringy quality that The Black Knight does.  Bite of Black also dries less gritty.  SIGH OF RELIEF!  He wasn't just ALL LOOKS!! :D

L to R: Bite of Black, The Black Knight, Bite of Black

One last difference that I noticed is visible in the blurred shot:  the difference in the pink and gold glitters of each polish.

L to R: Bite of Black, The Black Knight, Bite of Black

At the end of the day,  I feel secure enough with Bite of Black to finally be able to end my dysfunctional relationship with The Black Knight.  I think.  But, gosh, he's so handsome!  Wait...no...I CAN move on.  I CAN.

What do you think of these two guys?  I personally believe the differences are practically imperceptible.  And I'm not using the word "dupe" because it annoys me. :)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day!

butter LONDON - The Black Knight

Hey everybody! :)  If a "black knight" is to a "white knight" what bad is to good, then this polish is most appropriately named.  This is one bad boy...butter LONDON's The Black Knight.  This was part of my very first bL polish purchase, when Ulta was having a buy one get one free sale.  I remember even the girl at the checkout counter said, "Ooooh, that is pretty!"  This polish is a super-glittery mix of blue, silver, and pink (heavy on the pink) suspended in a black jelly base.  Just beautiful.

  

butter LONDON The Black Knight

Glittering and bold...everything a knight should be, right?

The Black Knight seems to be the perfect guy.  He's daring, he's fearless, he's gorgeous!  But he's flawed!  Oh, why do so many beautiful things have a dark side?? 

  Polish Behaving Badly - *SOB*

Wearing The Black Knight is like going out with an incredibly good-looking, yet self-absorbed, guy.  You love looking at him, but you know he'll only bring you heartache in the end.  He greedily eats top coat like you're the one paying the tab.  He is so shallow that the layers of his personality flake off before your eyes.  I have never worn this polish for more than 6 hours before it starts to chip.  And I don't mean little chips...I mean like half of the nail comes off in one sheet.  Happens every single time.  But I'm just a sucker who keeps going back for more...I keep telling myself he'll change...

Could he just be your knight in shining armor?

There is absolutely no denying that The Black Knight is one handsome heart breaker.  So, if you still wish to go into this relationship knowing the risks, then I wish you much happiness.  Maybe he will treat you better than he has treated me.  Maybe he just doesn't like my nails.  Maybe you are the girl of his dreams.  Just don't cry too much if he loves you and leaves you.

Ah...the appeal of the bad boy...

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