Julie G Candy Shoppe Colors

Hey everybody!  Today I'm showing the Candy Shoppe Colors from the fabulous drugstore brand Julie G.  I purchased these during a Polish Shopping Weekend back in the spring.  And yeah, yeah, I'm just now posting about them.  But I promise you'll love them. :D

The Candy Shoppe Colors collection consists of 9 colors, and I've got 6 of them here.  These polishes have a "jelly bean finish", and this description is dead-on.  They look/feel like a jellybean, a matte jelly.  I can't vouch for the taste, however.  And being jellies, they are sheer but build up pretty nicely in 3 coats.  Mr. VaNeLi kept me lots of company for these pics, but I didn't mind in this case.

Pixi Stick is a really pretty medium pink.  I adore this one!

Sour Apple is a medium green that's a touch grassy and quite flattering.

Lemon Drop is a bright yellow that's as yellow as a lemon meringue pie.  Mmmm.  My Mom makes really good lemon meringue pie, but I digress...  I didn't find Lemon Drop to be overly streaky, given its Quite Yellow Status, but I did use 4 coats for this one.

Sour Grape is a medium-toned purple with a blue undertone.  Of course I liked this one quite a bit.  I mean, it's purple.  And there's Angelo's hair.

Sweet Tooth, or as I could call it, "my personal affliction", is a bright medium blue.  The combination of this fun color with the jelly bean finish is so darn cute.  But *caution* - this one stains.  But oh, isn't it worth it? :)

 

Wild Cherry is a ripe, juicy red that looks simply yum.  I used 4 coats on this one, because for some insane reason, Mr. VaNeLi rears his ugly head most often whilst I sport a red polish.  Go figure.

The remaining colors I didn't pick up from the collection are Licorice (black), Lollipop (red-toned purple), and Candy Shop (orange).  I'm kinda wishing now I'd picked them up...I thought that Licorice may cause me application woes, but these formulas are so good that I don't think it would.  My personal favorites from my purchases are Sweet Tooth and Pixi Stick.

Julie G polishes are sold at Rite Aid and online at Jesse's Girl.  They retail for $3.99 each.  As I've said for a long time, Julie G is a good drugstore polish.  They're an addict's best friend!  Or worst nightmare? 

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

OPI Designer Series Opulence

Hey everybody!  I hope you're doing well as we approach the halfway point of the work week. :)

Tonight I'm showing a fancy flashback:  OPI Designer Series Opulence.  I picked this little jewel up for $2 via the Ulta clearance shelf.  Class, that is what you call a "good investment." 

Poor little Opulence sat languishing in my collection of never-worns until recently.  Part of the reason is because - see those marks on the bottle cap?  I could not get the bottle open for anything, until I broke down and got the pliers.  Opulence is the second DS polish to which I had to break out the pliers!  But ugh...isn't it beautiful?  It's an antique-looking mauve pink loaded with shimmery holographic particles, and on me it has the tiniest hint of fawn, which creates a completely gorgeous autumnal look.  

Application of Opulence was my very favorite in a polish:  mistake proof!  And by that, I mean...well... mistake proof!  This formula is just too good to mess things up.  I was quite loathe to remove this one.

Have you snagged any fabulous deals lately?  Do you have any OPI DS polishes?  I was fortunate enough to pick up several DS polishes on clearance, so stay tuned for more yumness.

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

Pretty Jelly Goes Back to School

Hey everybody!  Yes, it's me.  Hugs and kisses all around!

Nothing brings one out of dormancy quite like a new collection from a favorite brand.  The Pretty Jelly Back to School Brights collection is a fabulous array of *this close to neon* scattered/linear holos that is even prettier in person than in photos.  The colors are a nod to all those grammar school memories we have...well, to be totally honest, we 70's grammar school kids didn't exactly have neon things yet, but I digress...

All the polishes here dry very quickly to a semi-matte finish.  I used top coat on each because, of course, I like to shine.  Let's take a look! 

First up is a polish so full of yumness that it may very well be caloric:  Scented Markers.



Scented Markers were NOT invented in the 1970's.  But never mind that...look at this gorgeous purple!  I would describe it as mulberry-tinged bright orchid.  How's that for specific?  

Next we have every kid's favorite thing in the world:  Pop Quiz!  Ah, I can still remember the sounds of groaning across the classroom...

Pop Quiz is described as coral, but on me it's a gentle apricot.  It's a good bit brighter in indirect light.  I used three coats of this one to cover up Mr. VaNeLi.  I wore this one this week for three days before it finally gave in and chipped. 

The last Back to School polish I have is a lovely bright pink called Book Fair.  I loved Book Fair time.  I bought the coolest ever coloring book once that looked just like those popular adult coloring books around today.  I'm such a visionary. :)

Book Fair is the most linear-leaning holo of the three.  This hot pink is bright, sparkly and electric.

Be sure to check out the Back to School Brights collection on Etsy for the rest of the collection!  I cannot recommend Pretty Jelly enough for consistently good formulas, interesting color choices, and yes - intelligent polish names. 

As always, thank you for reading, and have a lovely day! <3

China Glaze I Love Your Guts and Getting to Gnaw You

Hey everybody!  I'm in the mood for a Halloween polish.  What about you?  You ARE?!  Well, you've come to the right place. :D  Tonight I have two polishes from the China Glaze Apocalypse of Color collection.

The first one boasts an utterly charming moniker:  I Love Your Guts.  Well now...it doesn't get much better than that.

I Love Your Guts is a very cool polish with a very strange finish.  It's a frosty metallic with tiny black glitter that dries matte.  I have to be in a specifically matte-tolerating mood for this to work, and I wasn't at the time of these pics, so I used one layer of top coat, which sort of rendered it semi-matte. 

I Love Your Guts is a very lovely red-pink color.  The presence of the black glitter gives it an overall trashy appearance.  Like actual trash.  Like you dipped your fingers in some spooky mess, reminiscent of a typical horror movie character who makes terribly unwise choices.

Another one I picked up from the collection is Getting to Gnaw You, a black jelly with copper glitter.

"Getting to gnaw you...getting to gnaw all about you..."  Oh, sorry.  Visions of a zombie-fied Yul Brynner as the undead King of Siam were dancing through my head. :)  I loved this one in the bottle, and I have to say, I was surprised at how well pigmented the black jelly base was.  The copper glitter is very pretty and gives this polish a very chic look.  I used two coats of this with 2 coats of top coats...it's a rather hungry little number!

 
China Glaze, in my opinion, puts out some excellent Halloween polishes.  Did you pick up any from Apocalypse of Color?  

Thanks for stopping by, and always remember..I love your guts!! <3

Julie G Rio de Janeiro and Santorini - PLUS Monster Plantation Party Pics!!

Hey everybody!  Hey, it's Monday again.  That was one quick weekend...but more about that in a bit! :) Today I have a couple of Julie G polishes to show you from the Summer 2014 Cruise Collection.  I had actually bought these several months ago on a weekend jaunt with Mr. Sweets, but then I went on hiatus and didn't get a chance to show them until now.

You know my feelings about pink with a dash of purple...and Rio de Janeiro is just that.

Rio de Janeiro is a gorgeous, purple-tinged, deep pink creme.  *Broken record alert*  I didn't have anything else like this color in my collection.  I used two coats, and the application was easy and covered Mr. VaNeLi quite thoroughly.

Although the Cruise collection was introduced in summer, I can absolutely see this deep pink as a fall color too.

The other polish I picked up from the collection was yet another purple-tinged color, this time a blue:  Santorini.

Yep...I realize that my coloring looks at least 7 levels of weird in these pics...but BLAST YOU, SANTORINI!!  I could NOT get an accurate color shot of this without doing funky things to my skin color.  But this is a nail polish blog and not a Melissa's complexion blog, so the funkiness won out.

I used two coats of this lovely periwinkle creme, but I needed 3 because I was having some streaking issues.  I was too darn sleepy to apply a third coat.  I guess it's the nature of a light blue to behave badly. *sigh*  The streaky patches aren't noticeable in person.

I purchase my Julie G polishes at Rite Aid, where they retail for $3.99.  I love Julie G products!! :)

And now, as promised...some pics from my sister Melanie and brother-in-law Chris' Halloween party at their home, The Monster Plantation!!  You may remember my post last year that showed how much they love to decorate for Halloween. Well, they also throw a themed party every year for their friends and co-workers.  This year's theme was circus/sideshow freaks from the early 1900's, entitled Lord Rapscallion's CarnEVIL.  I was the official party photographer and created a vintage group of photos reminiscent of those old circus sideshow acts.  Incidentally, some of the costumes were based on actual performers.

Lord Rapscallion himself...legend says he set fire to his own circus for the insurance money!  What a jerk!!

Pip and Flip - read about the real Pip and Flip here.

 

The Bearded Lady and Half-Girl

And a group shot of all of the circus performers during their glory days...that's Koo-Koo the Bird Girl on the front row!

Be sure to click on the group shot for a closer look.  That very short, demented-looking Pierrot clown is yours truly. :D

As always, thank you for stopping by, and have a fantastic day! <3

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! 

A Fantasy in Magenta: Pretty Jelly Dragon Breath

Hey everybody!  How are you like my Pretty Jelly holo features this week?  As much as I love wearing them, I love taking pictures of them even more.  They are so perfect that they make it easy to get a good one. :)  I saved for last a smokin' hot pink linear lovely called Dragon Breath. 

Um.  Wow.  Fire in the house!!  That is some HOT magenta going on there.  And look at all the blue shimmer in that color shift.  It nearly blew out my lens due to the insane sparkle.  It's hard to imagine that Dragon Breath is yet another well-behaved and office-friendly polish, but it is.  It looks like a harmless metallic until you turn your hand near a spotlight...and BAM.  They'll be calling you "Vegas" before you clock out.

Named for the Dragon's Breath opal, Dragon Breath pulls really blue on me, which I love.  It's a delicious hybrid of raspberry jam and a lava lamp.  Hmmm...that doesn't sound delicious, but trust me, it's crazy gorgeous.  Click on the photo for a closer look.  Go ahead.  Are you sitting down? :P  I used 2 coats of Dragon Breath for photos.  This baby is super pigmented, and Mr. VaNeLi was nowhere to be seen! :)

And last, but not least, Dragon Breath has my VERY favorite quality in a polish:  it makes me look even whiter!  YESSSS!!

So...I really hope I've helped convince you that you need some Pretty Jelly in your life.  And I have to tell you what a sweet young lady creator Liz is...I sent my dear friend Emily of Must.Stash some Pretty Jelly for her birthday, and LOOK and how Miss Liz packaged it up...proof positive she's an amazing artist. <3

You can purchase Pretty Jelly polishes at Etsy, and Liz is having a restock tomorrow! :)

As always, thanks for reading, and have a lovely day!

Feminine and Fabulous: Pretty Jelly Roseate

Hey everybody!  I have such a lovely polish to show you today.  I recently placed a Mother's Day sale order with Pretty Jelly, one of my very favorite indie brands, and got three lovely new holos from the Spring/Summer collection.  I was going to post all of them together, but they are too gorgeous to simply lump together into one post.  So today I will start with an exquisite shade...with a heavy dash of awesome...Roseate.

"Roseate: rose-colored / optimistic"

One reason Liz of Pretty Jelly is one of my very favorite polish designers is because she names her polishes the most wonderfully intellectual names.  You simply can't imagine a Pretty Jelly polish called "Vulture Vomit" or "My Real Name is Mrs. Clooney".  Another reason is because I love Every.Single.Thing she makes!! :/  Roseate is even lovelier than I thought it would be: a delicious pinky-rosy-nude that plays office nicely but explodes in the sunlight.  I'm serious.  It looks like a very well-behaved neutral, but pass by a window, and your secret's out! :)

I'm sorry...is it just me, or is this divine? :)  I'm not usually one to brag about something looking good on me, but I absolutely LOVE Roseate on me.  It seems to have been designed for my skin tone.  And that gorgeous holo flash! <3  I used two coats, and as with other Pretty Jelly holos, did not need to do anything special for the application.

Do you love Roseate as much as I do?  Roseate and other beautiful polishes can be purchased on Etsy.  But be forewarned:  Liz doesn't make anything that isn't stunning. :)  Stay tuned for more holo goodness later here in my Reverie!!

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

Rimmel Sweetie Crush Collection

 
Hey everybody!  

Do you all like sugar as much as I do?  What a fib...nobody could possibly like sugar as much as I do!  I am a moderately ashamed sugar addict.  I should be more ashamed than I am, but that would only depress me and cause me to stress eat more sugar.  What a dilemma.  Fortunately, I have a sweet offering today without the calories and ensuing guilt complex! :P  Rimmel London has released a limited edition texture collection called Sweetie Crush, a yummy set of pastels.  I will say up front that all the colors were pretty sheer, and I used 3 coats of each.

First is Sherbet Sweetheart, a pale yellow.  This was a surprise favorite for me.  Could it be because it looks like butter cream frosting?  Hmmm...

Next is a gorgeous blue called Blueberry Whizz.  It's a true pale blue...no aqua undertones.  The sheen gives this one a blue fairy look. :)

The pink (!!!) of the Sweetie Crush collection is called Candyfloss Cutie.  Let me just say that the British have the most adorable name ever for cotton candy.  Come on...isn't it? :)  Candyfloss Cutie is a light pink with the *tiniest* touch of rose, but not enough for it to appear indecisive and annoying.

Ahhh, pale green texture!  And such an unusual color at that.  I wore Fizzy Applelicious to the office today,  and it's such a pale color that you have to look closely to see it's green.  It's pretty though and looks a bit like a neutral.

Violet Swizzle...what can I say about this lavender except that it's beautiful?? :)  This is actually very pale too, paler than the photos show.  Springy and girly.

The Sweetie Crush collection bottles are small at .27 oz., but I paid a whopping $1.29 a bottle for each.  I found these at Kmart and have not seen them anywhere else.  I like their pale, ethereal colors and their silvery sheen.  As far as the texture goes, I would say they are somewhere between Zoya Pixie Dust and Julie G Gumdrops.

Have you seen the Sweetie Crush collection around?  I would have to say my favorite is Blueberry Whizz. :)

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