My Christmas Favorites from Layla: Killing Red and Green Galaxy

Hey everybody!   Wow, it's certainly getting close to Christmas.  My head still thinks it's June. :/  Oh well, that won't stop me from wearing my festive Christmas polishes!  Today I am featuring a couple of Layla Ceramic Effects, 53 and 54...also known as Killing Red (mmm-kay) and Green Galaxy, respectively.

Layla Ceramic Effect 53 is a delicious apple red jelly with flakies.  I would say it had me at jelly, but then it REALLY had me at flakies. :)

Killing Red's jelly formula was a bit thin and you can certainly see Mr. Vaneli (visible nail line) peeking through, but it looks worse in photos than in real life.  I used two coats for the photos.  The flakies apply well and evenly and give a lovely, fiery, orange-gold glow.  Ahhhh...reminds me of a yule log. ;)

My other Layla Ceramic Effect that positively screams "O CHRISTMAS TREE!" is #54, Green Galaxy.

Galaxy Green is a beautiful deep emerald green.  It's one of those greens that looks slightly blackened.  Green Galaxy is positively packed with green glitters of all sizes.  Especially pretty in this one are the micro glitters...they make this polish twinkle like a little star. :)

I applied two coats of Green Galaxy for the photos.  This is also a jelly, but it covers more thoroughly than Killing Red.  Either than, or Mr. Vaneli was tired of showing up for so many of my photos. :D

How do you like these true Christmas colors?  Layla Ceramic Effect polishes are lovely and long wearing.  Unfortunately, Ulta has stopped carrying them, but Ninja Polish carries an excellent selection of Layla.

Funny story about these two polishes...they were a Christmas gift from my sister last year.  My family, unusual beings that we are, never writes the correct "from whom" names on present tags.  We have done that for as long as I can remember.  We usually like to drop some sort of connection hint in the name.  Well, last year my sister wrapped this big box of cosmetics, including these polishes, and everything she bought had glitter or shimmer in it.  The tag read "To: Melissa, From: Tramps 'R' Us".  LOLOLOL!!  I still love that one. :P

Thanks for reading, and have a lovely day!

My Very Own Franken Femme Creation: Toxic Chocolate!

Hey everybody!  I hope you're having a great weekend so far.  I was just happy to sleep late, which was 5:30. :D  I have something special to show you today...the lovely, talented, and extremely witty Becca at Franken Femme sent me my very first ever blogging bud nail mail!  A few weeks ago, Becca created a flakie beauty she called Toxic Chocolate, and I really loved it.  So being the sweetie pie she is, she made me my very own bottle. :)

For those of you who aren't familiar with Becca's mad frankening skills, you can find the story of how Toxic Chocolate came into being here.  Becca creates some awesome stuff...sometimes originals, sometimes frankens from other polishes.  Toxic Chocolate is a franken with which even SHE fell in love.  Becca is very talented and her blog is a joy to read because she's so stinkin' funny.

Look at that bottle shot!  The color of Toxic Chocolate reminds me of the sludge left in the bottom of an almost-eaten caramel and hot fudge sundae. Mmmmm.

Becca created this polish as a matte, but I was experiencing some awful drying time...again, not the polish's fault, but the humidity's.  I applied top coat, and it still had a satiny finish rather than a really shiny one.

While the color of Toxic Chocolate is beautiful, the flakies make it really special, especially the Seawitch Green ones.  I wore this polish for 2 and a half days, which is an eternity in my wear time. :)

Nothing toxic about this polish!  It didn't give me that paper cut.

Becca has made some lovely things in her top secret frankening laboratory, but I think she really outdid herself on this one.  

Blogging buds are some of the most creative people out there, and you know something else?  They're really nice too.  My sincere thanks to Becca for being so very thoughtful. ;)

Please don't forget to enter my giveaway!  Entries are low, so you have a really good chance of winning some wonderful indie polish! 

Be sure to check out Becca's blog, Franken Femme, and prepare yourself to be impressed.  Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day! :)

Because I'm Fancy: China Glaze Dress Me Up and Luxe and Lush

Hey everybody! :)  I don't get excited about movies very often.  But it seems like the ones I do get excited about are always the ones for which somebody makes a corresponding nail polish collection, like Alice in Wonderland and Oz the Great and Powerful.  Oh, and I was really excited about Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but I suppose "Orangutan Orange" would have been a bit much.  Anyway, I recently saw the new trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and OH yes...I can't wait for that one. :D  It made me want to revisit some of the polishes from China Glaze's Capitol Colours Collection that came out in conjunction with The Hunger Games.

In my opinion, China Glaze Dress Me Up was the real standout of that collection.

China Glaze Dress Me Up

Dress Me Up is what I call "my kind of neutral."  I can't wear cream-colored polish, and most neutrals look dreadful on me.  Since my hands are white, I need something with a neutral feel but a bit darker, and Dress Me Up fits the bill perfectly.  And it just so happens that I love to dress up. :) Heh heh...

China Glaze Luxe and Lush

For my accent and thumb nails, I used a coat of China Glaze Luxe and Lush, also from the Capitol Colours Collection.  It's a gorgeous, fiery flakie topcoat that I have worn numerous times in a little thing called a jelly sandwich.

China Glaze Dress Me Up and Luxe and Lush

The formula on Dress Me Up is so surprising...it's a creme, but oddly enough, I have no problems with it at all.  Cremes would have to be my least favorite polishes because I always make a hearty mess out of them.  Dress Me Up applies so well that I have no cleanup.  Amazing!!  

The color of Dress Me Up is very unusual too.  Are any of you familiar with rose-flavored foods?  I LOVE rose-flavored foods, especially rose Turkish Delight.  Well, I would describe the color of Dress Me Up as rose-flavored cocoa.  Oh my WORD that sounds delicious!!

The Capital Colours Collection was a good one.  I have 2 more polishes from it, and they're beautiful as well.  But Dress Me Up is still my favorite because I love, love, LOVE the rosy oddness of it. 

What's your favorite neutral? :)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely Friday!