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

The Cheapskate Files: Essie All Tied Up

Hey everybody!  It's a pretty exciting day for me...we are actually getting to experience a little part of the massive cold front that's currently affecting the country.  I'm not sweating!! :)

When I was on vacation last month, I managed to snag several bottles of my favorite type of polish:  cheap. :D  Oh...I shouldn't say "cheap"...it sounds so...cheap.  How about calling it "polishes I found at an excellent price"?  Yes...much better.  I found a bottle of Essie All Tied Up, from their Summer 2012 collection, for something like $3 at TJ Maxx.  I can honestly say that I don't own anything even close to this color!

Essie's website describes All Tied Up like this:  "this rustic bronze with subtle golden shimmer glistens with a restrained, yet warm and sensuous charm that will leave him totally tongue-tied."  Well now that's different.  Not only would I not call this color "bronze", but for some reason I'm never thinking of how I can render some guy speechless with my manicure.  For somebody who loves vampy shades, I'm more like Goldilocks. :D

I would personally describe All Tied Up as a medium rosy terracotta.  How's that for a description?  Hey, it's better than bronze! :)  It does have a lovely golden shimmer.  I love shimmer! <3

I used 2 coats of All Tied Up for the photos...then my camera got all upset upon seeing me wearing a color that hailed from the Orange-esque Dynasty and paid me back by portraying me as Wilbur the Pig.  You'll have to trust me when I say that I still look my regular color in person. :)

Let's talk formula...oh Essie, WHY can't you make everything like this one?  It was just perfect...creamy and easy to apply.  And it really is a lovely color.  It's just that my camera and I aren't used to seeing me like this.  It's a sort of "not-very-me" neutral. 

Bonus Points if you can spot what's wrong with this pic!!! :)

So...how about that?  I'm wearing ALL kinds of new things!:)  Do you have a color like this one?  What color does it turn your skin?  And most importantly, SHOULD nail polish be considered a lethal weapon against a man?? :)

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

Revlon Parfumerie Ginger Melon and Lime Basil

Hey everybody!  I know by now you all have seen the displays everywhere for the charmingly retro Revlon Parfumerie polishes.  So far, I have seen 4 completely different displays of them.  And only one, a CVS end cap display, contained the two polishes I am showing today.  I purchased a couple from the Wal-Mart display, Italian Leather and Apricot Nectar, but I want to show you the ones that are a bit harder to find.

The Revlon Parfumerie polishes are a death-knell to somebody (like myself) who is drawn to unusual packaging.  Let's face it...these little vintage bottles are just adorable.  And scented on top of that?  Here's my money.  But a word of caution:  do NOT take a whiff of the polish whilst in the store.  You really don't want somebody to find you passed out in the Wal-Mart cosmetics department...I mean, you just saw somebody else like that over in the Doritos aisle, and you told yourself you'd never be THAT person.

I will go ahead and tell you that I used 3 coats for both polishes.  I was having a fearsome struggle with Mr. Vaneli.  That's my new cosmopolitan name for my ever-present visible nail line.  I think it makes him sound less annoying. :)  The formula of these 2 cremes was thin but wonderfully easy to control...I love them both.  And the tiny little brush?  It's perfect for my toddler-sized nails. :)

Now that I've gotten all that out of the way...tell me what you think of Ginger Melon!

The color of of Ginger Melon and I have a long history.  It's one of those colors that's just as coral as it is pink.  For some reason, I have always been terribly offended by indecisive pinks and corals.  I'm not that way with anything else!?  But this also happens to be the color that EVERY TIME I wear it, people tell me how good it looks on me.  Every time.  Grrr.  But I can't deny it...it's a pretty color.  I just wish it wasn't so offensive. :D

Your eyes do NOT deceive you!  The color of Ginger Melon changed on my nails from its bottle color.  Crazy!  This polish is very shiny too.

And the scent...well, it's not melon.  And it's not ginger.  It's more like a vague fruit.  Let's call it "Generic Melon." :)  It's a pleasant scent but a touch on the sweet side.

The next one of the rarer Parfumerie offerings I have is Lime Basil, a luscious medium green.

The color of Lime Basil is a bit bluer than the photos show...for some reason, the color was correct until I uploaded the pics onto here! :/  It's really pretty.  It could be either a Christmas green or a summer green.  I love it.

Lime Basil is another very shiny polish.  And, like Ginger Melon, it dried to a slightly different color on my nails.  Maybe the scent gives these a split personality? :)  Uh oh...more indecisiveness!!

Now for the scent of Lime Basil...the verdict is in:  Guilty of being delicious!!  It's fresh and citrus and does indeed smell faintly of basil.  You will definitely keep sniffing your hands with this one.  Don't do it too conspicuously though...your co-workers might think you ate fried chicken for lunch and then didn't wash your hands afterwards.

Did you pick up any of the Revlon Perfumerie polishes?  I can't say enough good about these two!  And I did want to add that if you haven't snagged any of these yet, go check out Jessica's comprehensive collection reviews of the entire Parfumerie line at Be Happy and Buy Polish.  She spells it all out and did a super job...BUT she doesn't like Lime Basil, LOL!!  Oh well! :P

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

Barielle for Autumn Pt. 3: Mystery Woman and Kisses 'N Hugs

Hey everybody!  How has your Monday been?  Mine was busy but good.  Of course, sporting a fetching shade of autumn awesome on my nails always helps to perk up my mood. :D  Today I have a couple more Barielle polishes that I think are some perfect fall colors.

First up is a great autumnal pink called Kisses 'N Hugs.

I can't quite figure out when Kisses 'N Hugs was released...I got mine in another fantastic 5-pack of Barielles from Marshall's.  It does look similar to this year's London High Tea from the Sophisticated Lady collection...I think Kisses 'N Hugs might be a bit deeper.

Hugs 'N Kisses is a creme with a great formula.  I used two coats for the pictures...and UGH, don't pay any attention to that mess I didn't catch on my middle finger.  Be honest, now that I've told you not to pay attention to it, you will totally pay attention to it, won't you? :P

Kisses 'N Hugs is a deep geranium pink with the tiniest hint of coral.  That bit of coral sets it apart from the summery, bubble gum pinks and makes you think of fall.

Next up I have a vamp-tastic (yeah!!) shade called Mystery Woman.

Ahhh...good ol' Barielle...always throwing something CRAZEE into the mix!  Mystery Woman is a deep eggplant metallic with a RED shimmer.  It's a different twist on the vampy shades you know and love, and it's really pretty.

In certain lighting, Mystery Woman has an almost brown cast to it.  It also reminds me of OPI Have You Seen My Limo...the color, that is.  Just take out the duochrome and throw in the shimmer.  Hmmm...just forget it...it's lovely enough to merit its OWN reputation. :D

And a closeup of the shimmer:

Mystery Woman is mysterious all right.  It's another one of those confusingly wonderful Barielle shades that I love! <3

So how do you like these two polishes for autumn?  Some of you all are already experiencing winter...I'm just excited that our high today was 67 degrees!  Break out the snow suits! :P

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

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! :)

I Hate Summer! But I LOVE Summer Indulgences! (Pic Heavy)

Hey everybody!  Yes, it's true.  I know I'm in the minority here, but I truly and fervently dislike summer.  Summer inevitably reminds me of the 3 things I avoid like the plague:  sun, water, and sweating.  During summer, I have to practically style my hair into a beehive so that it will shrink down to the right amount of fluffy by the time I arrive at work.  It's all very distressing.

However, there ARE things about warmer months that bring a smile to my face, such as homeade ice cream...store bought ice cream...ice cream cones.  I like ice cream a lot...it's one of my indulgences.  What an awesome segue! :)  Today's post is the absolutely beautiful new Summer Indulgences Collection by Pretty Jelly.  Lovely Miss Liz says about her charming creations:  "Whether it's chasing down your favorite bands at music festivals, sipping your favorite drinks while reading a book, or taking a nap among the flowers - this summer take a moment to indulge in your favorite things."

Pretty Jelly Summer Indulgences Collection

 The Summer Indulgences Collection is made up of 5 polishes...there's something for everybody here.  Maybe even 3 or 4 for everybody...

First up, we have Daydream, a white base with green, yellow, and neon pink glitters.  I used 3 coats for the pics over China Glaze Princess Grace, which, I discovered, is pretty much the worst polish ever invented.  Daydream still looks lovely over it though...very soft and feminine. :)

 

Festival is a really fun glitter topper filled with neon pink, blue, green, yellow and white glitter.  There are also green and white stars and small blue bars.  This is an excellent glitter that behaves very well on the nail. :)  I layered 2 coats over OPI You're Such a Budapest to get the partaaaaaay started.

Electric Limeade is a light yellow creme base with neon green and neon blue glitter.  And this limeade is electric because of the holographic glitter!  Just look at that delicious sparkle! :)  You could use 3 coats on its own, but I used 4 for the photos.  Mmmmmm!  I'll take another glass, please! 

UGH!!  How pretty is this one??  This beautiful glitter topper is Wildflowers, a mix of pale purple, pink, blue, yellow, grey glitters.  And the pink is CIRCLE glitter!  This is 2 coats of Wildflowers over L'Oreal Club Prive, but you could even layer this one over a sausage and cheese biscuit and it would look great.

And now for the pièce de résistance:  Melon Sangria!  I know you all just *love* all my food references...so let's say it together:  FRUIT SALAD!!  Melon Sangria is a coral jelly packed with large white, green, yellow, orange, and pink hex glitters.  I layered 2 coats over OPI Suzi's Hungary Again!...I really don't know why it looks patchy in the pics, because it didn't in the least in real life.  It's pretty squishtastic.  And so awesome that it wins the coveted ring shot:

Now THAT'S some Pretty Jelly.

What do you guys think? :)  All 5 of these polishes are crazy gorgeous and behave so nicely.  Application is great and the dry time is very fast.  The Summer Indulgences Collection is already making me feel better about the quickly approaching season.  That and ice cream.

You can purchase the Summer Indulgences Collection and other Pretty Jelly polishes on Etsy!

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