OPI Designer Series Extravagance, Lapis and Mystery

Hey everybody!  I am really bummed today.  I was supposed to see my beloved Mr. Sweets this weekend, but Hurricane Joaquin has put an end to our plans. :'(  So I decided instead to treat you all to a quick post of a few more of my amazing OPI Designer Series finds from the clearance rack.

DS Extravagance is still a very popular polish and one that is probably still on many a wish list.  I think (?) it was released around 2008.  It is a beautiful purple/wine jelly base filled with holographic shimmer.  This is two coats, but I could have used three, as I spot a bald patch on yon index finger! :o  Extravagance is easy to apply and wears quite well.

DS Lapis was released in 2013 (along with Pewter) as a textured polish.  The color is iolite blue, which has a hint of violet.  It's full of silver shimmer and dries matte, but as you can see, it has a distinct sheen.  As you know, I'm not really a matte girl, so I topcoated mine and wore it to work the following day with the intention of getting a topcoat pic that night as well.  But much to my dismay and surprise, this polish chipped like crazy, even with topcoat, within a few hours!  I was so disappointed too, because Lapis really is a stunning color, and the sparkle is out of this world.

The 2009 release DS Mystery is just that.  I put this on and still had no idea what color it was.  It's extremely dark and rather confusing.  In the bottle, Mystery looks black with a heavy gold shimmer.  On the nail, it's blackened purple, and the gold seems not as obvious.  It's weird.  I've seen other photos of Mystery that looked more interesting, but on me, something just got lost.  It wasn't any better in person, either. :/

Do you have any of these Designer Series shades?  What is your opinion of them?  And did you notice the pliers marks on Mystery's bottle lid? :)

As always, thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day. <3

Nail of the Day: Zoya Seraphina and Zoya Vega

Hey everybody!  How has your Saturday been?  I've been quite busy with housework and the like, and I've finally broken down and started wrapping presents.  As a side note, Marshalls/Home Goods/TJ Maxx have the best wrapping paper, period.  Their Christmas paper always appeals to my fancy side...which is really both sides. :D

I've got a very pretty duo on today, Zoya Seraphina with Zoya Vega accents.  I purchased these two bottles about six weeks ago at Ulta, where they were $2.50 each.  Yep.

Seraphina is a silvery-white shade with silver shimmer from the 2013 Zenith Collection.  I liked Seraphina from the very beginning, even though shades like this don't really look all that swell on me.  Seraphina was a naughty girl on me...very, very sheer.  What you're looking at is FOUR coats, and opacity may as well be a fairy tale.  The good thing is the coats dried very quickly.

Vega is a light blue/aqua textured holo Magical Pixie Dust that was released in their first collection of Magical Pixie Dusts, which according to many people, seem to be constantly morphing in terms of formula and finish. :)  I confess, I was kinda on the fence about Magical Pixie Dusts.  I thought a couple of them were a total crusty-looking mess.  But I picked Vega and Cosmo up (at $2.50 I pretty much HAD to try them, right?), and whoa!  Changed my mind!  Vega is like OPI Tiffany Case-does-Vegas.  

Oh, and I'm currently in the process of decorating the house.  Did I give myself away?

I really love this duo.  It's an icy-snowy-frosty-just plain cold look to which I'm always attracted.  Living in the tropics during perimenopause will do that to you.

Don't forget to enter my Pretty Jelly giveaway!  The prize is the entire A Novel Christmas collection, which I personally guarantee you will love. :)

So, my question for you is...where do you like to buy your Christmas gift wrap??  :P  

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely day!

Financial Responsibility, Part 1: Sinful Colors

Hey everybody!  I have been really busy this week, but I did manage to do something I've been meaning to do for a long time.  I made a list of all my unworn polishes.  I feel rather ashamed of myself.  I won't give you a number, but let's just say that facing an addiction is pretty sobering. :P  SO...that being said...I'm ushering in a new series here at my Reverie to feature said polishes.  It's the Era of Financial Responsibility!

Another thing:  you may have noticed that I do not like using typical nail polish language.  I will not use the words "dupe" or "stash", and don't even get me started on "lemming".  Another term I really dislike is "untried".  I mean...who came up with all this stuff anyway?  Who invented the nail polish language??  Anyway, as I always call my terms by a different name, I am officially calling my unworn polishes my never-worns.  I think it lends a sort of elegance to my unhealthy habit. :D

Today's post features two polishes by Sinful Colors that were both *meant* to be a Blogger Made Me Do It post blaming the ever-charming Liesl Loves Pretty Things.  So I guess you're gettin' a two-fer!  First off, let's hear it for Graine de Poivre.

Graine de Poivre (translation: peppercorn) is a mushroom taupe creme, introduced fall of 2013.  I fell so in love with this when Liesl featured it that I went looking for it right away.  I have some close-but-no-cigar colors like it.  Graine de Poivre turns really grey on me, but I still like it.  The formula is very good on this one.

I did a little comparison shot of some taupe-ish and greige colors, just so you can see about where Graine de Poivre falls in the spectrum.  Oh, and I have no idea why Berlin There, Done That looks matte...:/

The other Sinful Colors offering that I just HAD to have after Liesl's feature is Hot Chili, a sort of "texture lite" introduced around May of 2014.

See how pretty this is?  Would you believe me if I told you it's even prettier in person??  Hot Chili is a barely pink-tinged red metallic with textured bits of something and small holographic glitter.  Yeah, this is nice.  I was surprised that the formula was super runny.  My results after one coat were disastrous, but two coats seemed to help quite a lot.

Well now.  I feel better already.  Two down from my long list of never-worns and many, many more to go.  At $1.99 each, these two SC polishes don't induce *that* much of a guilt trip.  I blame Liesl anyway. :P

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

Julie G Holiday Frosted Gum Drops: Gift of Gold and Mistletoe

Hey everybody!  You can probably tell by the names of today's polishes that I am perhaps a wee bit behind in showing them. :D  The Julie G Frosted Gum Drops Holiday 2013 collection was arguably cooler than the original Frosted Gum Drops, with jewel tones that made you think of that expensive Christmas wrapping paper you couldn't possibly afford.

Of course, the Frosted Gum Drops polishes are textured, and Julie G's take on texture is like L'Oreal's, a bit gritty, but pure sparkle.  The first one I have today is Gift of Gold.

Gift of Gold is not a gold for the weak.  This gold is GOLD and it wants you to KNOW IT'S GOLD!  It's deep and rich and slightly burnished.  I used two coats for this decadent glitterfest.  Very, very pretty.

The other Gum Drop from the Holiday collection I picked up is Mistletoe...this one was actually my hubby's pick of the collection.  He chose really well.  Mistletoe is a beauty, probably THE prettiest green I own, textured or not.

Again, I used two coats.  UGH, look how pretty this is!!  It's such a true green, like if you looked up "green" in the encyclopedia (do you whippersnappers even remember those??), it would show a picture of this polish.

I highly recommend Julie G polishes.  They wear very well and are inexpensive at $3.99 a bottle.  The entire line of Holiday Frosted Gum Drops is gorgeous (hubby loved the red one, Ho Ho Ho), so IF you can still find them, check them out!  And for that matter, maybe you can still snag some of that pricey wrapping paper at 75% off??

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

A Very Popular Post of 2013, Version 2.0: L'Oreal Color Riche Gold Dust

Hey everybody!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  I had a lovely time with my family, and now I'm back to the blogosphere as 2013 winds down.  I contemplated doing a year end "best of" post like a lot of other bloggers are doing, but I decided against that because 1) I didn't start blogging until April, and 2) I don't get press samples and don't have nearly the choices that others do.  So what I am doing is a big ol' continuation of one of my most popular posts of 2013, L'Oreal Too Dimensional? from the textured Gold Dust collection.  I loved Too Dimensional? so much that I purchased 4 more Gold Dust polishes.  And now seems to be the perfect time to show them off.  So, without further ado...my swan song of 2013! :D

I will keep my introductions to each of these succinct and say up front that all 4 had terrific formulas, zero cleanup, and a major glitter wow factor.  I used two coats of each for the photos.  The texture of the L'Oreal Gold Dust collection is just like Julie G Gumdrops textures, which I love as well. 

First off is the lovely lavender called The Reign of Studs.  I confess, I have no idea what that name means.  It sounds like some weird play on Game of Thrones.  Or The King of Queens.  I don't know.  It looks a bit similar to Too Dimensional?, but it's more of a true purple hue with silver glitter instead of gold.

Next is a *really* elegant gold texture...I mean, this is one pretty color.  It's not an out there, in your face gold...it's muted and delicate and ohhhh so pretty, the appropriately named The Statement Piece.

Did you catch that reference to being "appropriately named"?  There's a reason for that.  Next up is possibly the worst named polish of 2013...and frankly, I thought nothing could top Wharf! Wharf! Wharf!  And it's a shame too, because I Like It Chunky (???) is one of the most gorgeous textured numbers ever invented.  The pink glitter in the coppery base creates an overall look of rose gold.  I guess it likes its glitter chunky.  I hope so anyway...I Like It Chunky looks really, really rotten on me, but I don't care.  It's soooo pretty.

And you all know me by now...I'm gonna save the vamptastic shade for last!  Feast your eyes on Sexy in Sequins, a blackish-purple with lots of pink, lavender and gold glitter.  This one has it all.  I was worried that its dark base would made it troublesome to work with, but nope...another winner. :)

I have resisted (thus far) the temptation to just go ahead and finish purchasing this collection.  But who knows what tomorrow may bring?? :D  There is something about the L'Oreal Gold Dust polishes that really connected with people.  They are all exceptionally pretty, long-wearing, and inexpensive...and something tells me that when this limited edition sells out, the polishes will be the sought-after prizes of tomorrow.  I got all of mine at Rite Aid.

For those of you curious about my Top 5 Popular Posts of 2013, here they are:

1)  Comparison:  butter LONDON The Black Knight vs. Hard Candy Bite of Black
2)  How Bloggers Influence Me:  Sinful Shine Yours Truly
3)  Sally Hansen Sugar Coat Comparison:  Bubble Plum and Red Velvet
4)  Maybelline Color Show Brocades:  Gilded Rose
5)  L'Oreal Does Texture:  Color Riche Gold Dust Too Dimensional? 

Notice anything in particular about all these?  Girls love drugstore brands. :)

Thanks for stopping by, 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!