Q: Queen Cupcake, Funky Fingers

This week's ABC challenge is "Q", a difficult letter, I would think.  I only have one polish that starts with the letter Q, and it is Queen Cupcake, from Funky Fingers.

Queen Cupcake is a pastel pink with gold shimmer.  I don't know if the formula is going bad, (one year old) but this was difficult and streaky on application.  Below is three coats to even everything out.

I also did a funky french with a pastel coral color, so as not to bore you.  I used one coat of Sunkissed by Mineral Fusion, on the tips.  You can find Mineral Fusion nail polish and makeup at Whole Foods grocery stores.

I usually free hand my french manicures because I'm too lazy to use tape or guides and I don't want to wait for the main color to dry.  I lay the brush flat, parallel to the edge of the nail, starting at very edge and swipe across. Go to the other side and swipe across again until the stripe meets in the middle.  I use the entire length of the brush to make a straight and crisp line.  It usually comes out straight.

So that is it for today. It is absolutely beautiful outside this time of the year.  If you are experiencing nice weather, please go outside!

Crabtree & Evelyn - Tomato Nail Polish

Hey there!  Did you know Crabtree and Evelyn makes nail polish? Neither did I, until a couple of weeks ago. I bumped in to their collection while surfing on their website.  They have a basic collection of 21 colors. I bought just one, Tomato, because it was the only one that seemed to call out to me.

Tomato is a highly pigmented bright red with golden shimmer. Really nice formula, no issues and glides on very nicely. The brush is kind of small but it was really easy to control. I hardly had to clean up my cuticles. A very good thing!

Below is two coats with INM out the door top coat.

I haven't been by their store to see if they sell their polishes there, but online they are $6 for 15 mls.  I picked up some hand cream and shampoo to justify the $10 shipping fee. If I didn't already have so many bottles of similar colors I would have bought more for sure.

I've spent the morning watching the manhunt going on in Watertown, Mass.  I hope they catch the last bomber alive, because there are so many questions!

Until next time!  Thanks for stopping by!

J: Jacob's Protection, Essence Twilight Series

Believe it or not, I only have three bottles of nail polish that start out with the letter J.  So this week is just a quick swatch of Jacob's Protection, from Essence Twilight Series.  JP is a black jelly polish with blue shimmer. The shimmer isn't very strong and looks black most of the time.  I have a bunch of these types of polishes, I should do a comparison post one day.  Anyhow here is two coats which were super easy to apply and dried pretty fast.

I got my bottle in a swap with the beautiful Criminal Nails.

That's it for now.  Thanks for stopping by!

G: Grape Juice by China Glaze

Letter "G" this week is represented by Grape Juice by China Glaze.  My husband picked out this polish... I would have never gotten this on my own.  It's not too bad, Grape Juice is a sheer, but super sparkly purple shimmer.  I think this might be good to layer over a bright blue creme polish... Anyhow, this is my first time wearing it and today I'm just posting a simple swatch.

I picked up a couple of new Revlon glitters from Walgreens a couple of weeks ago and decided to test them out on Grape juice..... only the big glitters stood out, the small glitters just got lost in the shimmer.  Oh well, fail.....

Below left to right is Hearts of Gold Fx, it has holographic heart glitter suspended in micro gold glitter.  In the middle is Celestial Fx which has holographic star, moon, and diamond glitter in micro holo and silver glitter.
Last is Grape Juice.  The Revlons were $5.99 each.

Here is how the room is coming along.

Here is two coats of Benjamin Moore's Ballet White.  I still have to paint the trim in oil, but I was thinking I should wait for the window sills to be fixed.  Next we rip out the nasty carpet!!  More to come!

B: Barielle Blackened Bleu

I decided to join the ABC challenge. I hope I can keep up!  Today is B, Barielle's Blackened Bleu.  BB is a sheer black jelly with blue shimmer. This is three coats and it feels really thick.  The formula is really nice and easy to work with though.

I haven't tried it yet, but I think this would be really nice to layer with.  The first coat I put on was really sparkly.  The more coats I added the sparkle kind of subsided.  Still pretty though.

I have a blog sale going on right now, and a giveaway.  Don't miss them.

Tape Mani with Revlon 705 Gray Suede

Hey guys!  I had to break away from green and wear a neutral to work, but I didn't want to totally bore you to death, so I did a stripe mani on an accent nail.  It came out okay, not the best but... acceptable I guess.

Revlon's Gray Suede is a nice beige leaning pink with silver shimmer.  I would imagine this would be great if you wanted to show off a flashy diamond on your hands and you don't want your nails competing with your jewelry. One day I'll show you my engagement ring... I hardly ever where it anymore because I wash my hands at least 10 times a day. I developed some irritation around the ring area probably because it keeps getting wet. Also, I totally hate my wedding band and I want a new one but haven't really shopped for a new one. I very seldom wear rings now that I paint my nails all the time. Anyhow.... excuse the bad photos, it has been so dark and foggy here the last four days... such bad lighting these are under florescent.

Revlon's Red Bikini is the color underneath, (one coat).  I really just love this color combo.

Below is the tape I used for this mani, called Frog tape.  I did not get super crisp lines but maybe I pulled the tape off too early.  Frog tape is for painting walls, but it says "multi surface" so hey why not nails?  The adhesive is gentle, not too sticky.  The tape is pretty wide, about 1.5 inches, I cut them horizontally into small strips.  See?

Frog tape is kind of expensive, $7-8 a roll at Lowe's or Home Depot. I bought it because I wanted to paint a block design in our spare bedroom, but hubby was against it, so now I have this roll. I might use it soon because we demolition-ed our master bedroom and we are going to paint that next. Does anyone want to see/read about that? It's not nail polish related so I don't know if anyone would be interested.

Let me know in the comments section below, should I post home improvement projects? And... do you match nail polish to your rings?

NO H8 - Funky Fingers - Sugar Plum Fairy

Wow, I did, three posts in the span of 36 hours!  I don't want to miss out on supporting No H8. Luckily I have the day off from work to join in!  Here is a nice lavender with gold shimmer from Funky Fingers, the same company as Color Club.  There should be a Color Club dupe to Sugar Plum Fairy.  Two coats.

In this photo, the gold shimmer is more apparent.

Now it is obvious why bullying should not be tolerated, and the person that started this mess should understand why people start blogs and why people read them.  Part of it is getting away from picture perfect magazines and to see how real women, in real life, wear and interpret fashion and what not.  Everyone has a special talent that they bring to the table, and if the "clean up or die" group can look past messy cuticles then maybe they might be able to see where someone's strengths are.  AND hey if you can't stand to look at messy cuticles then just click off.

The main reason why I support No H8 is because we should move towards a kinder world and it starts with being kind to each other, tolerating differences, and embracing diversity.  When we keep moving forward and evolving, culture changes for the better.  Bullying used to be though of as a rite of passage, wearing eyeglasses was not attractive, and smoking indoors was the norm... Not anymore.  It is amazing where we can go when we have an open mind and do the right thing.  Even when the right thing is not popular.  Luckily anti-bullying is popular.

Speaking of cruelty, Color Club and Funky Fingers is one of the few nail polish companies endorsed by leapingbunny.org - an organization that endorses cruelty free cosmetics.  Some people will say we "need" to test on animals, or we will end up testing on humans.  Well we do/did test on humans and we were barbaric with that too, just look at the Tuskegee trials in Alabama back in the 60's and 70's, and that is not an isolated incident.   If we (us nail polish consumers.. consumers in general) don't start to demand that cruel practices stop, it will continue.  The manufactures will not find other methods of testing if we don't demand that they stop the cruelty. The market will meet the demands of customers or go out of business.  Cruelty free for a kinder world for humans, animals and the eco-system.  No more bullying, human to human kindness will hopefully translate to human to animal kindness and human to eco-system kindness.  That's the message we need to send.

I first heard about No H8 here.

China Glaze - Jolly Holly

Hey there lovely ladies!!!

Another quicky, but beautiful swatch to show you today.  This is Jolly Holly from last year's China Glaze's Holiday Collection.  Two coats with Revlon's Quick Dry top coat.

Isn't it a gorgeous blackened, shimmery, green?  Must HAVE!

If you missed the blue version of this click to yesterday's post, here.

OPI - Unfor-Greta-bly Blue

Post Election nails!

I decided to wear blue to mark the occasion of President Obama being re-elected.  So here is OPI's Unfor-Greta-bly Blue, from the Germany Collection... a royal blue with blackened shimmer, along the same lines as Germanicure and Oktoberfest.  The formula is a little thin, but builds nicely, and dried uber smooth.  I did three coats.  The top coat is Out the Door.

Under florescent light.

Under halogen light.

A very nice, fall, wintery blue to have in a collection.

That's it for now!

Kiko - 374 - Dark Brown Shimmer

Hey guys!

Today I'm going to show you a wonderful nail polish from Kiko, a brand we can't get here in the U.S. The lovely M over at Criminal Nails and I had an awesome swapping experience. Apparently the prices of OPI and China Glaze are out of control in Europe, and I'm always drooling at swatches of Catrice, P2, Anny and Kiko, so I think we are grateful to have become swapping buddies!

Here is Kiko, number 374, a dark blackened brown shimmer.  Gorgeous color and gorgeous formula to match.  If you can be consistent at painting each nail with a thick coat, this could be a one coater.... but I'm not, so this is two coats.  You can't tell, but my pinky and ring fingers are one coat.  Kiko is made in France, by the way; it's nice to see something not made in China for once, not that I expected it to be.... anyhow.

Below is what M chose for me, she has really good taste.  Kiko 374, 363, 362, 300.

Before you leave today, I urge you to go and check out Criminal Nails!  M is brutally honest and her designs are bold.  By day, she's a lawyer, and in her off time, I think she's kind of a misfit. I have a feeling if she lived in America she would drive a Mustang and have a Harley in the garage. She makes it a point not to be an advertising machine for nail polish manufacturers and showcases her style and shares her ideas.  I can truly appreciate that and find it refreshing.

Well, that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by!

German-icure by OPI

I am totally smitten with OPI's Germany Collection.  I think I'm going to break down and buy the entire line, so far I have four out of twelve.  What do I love about this collection?  The "darkness, blacken shimmer, lit from within" as some other bloggers describe.  Without further delay here is German-icure by OPI.  Two coats, marvelous formula, topped with Revlon's quick dry top coat.



 

 

I went nuts with photos.  I hope you enjoy them.  Thanks for stopping by!

 

OPI - Every Month is Oktoberfest

Holy smokes!  I cracked and bought me some OPI!  Since OPI was bought out by Coty, I've been boycotting them, because of animal testing..... sigh! OPI does not animal test but Coty apparently does.  I use Burt's Bees products and later found out they are owned by Clorox, who are not eco friendly nor cruelty free.  So should I stop using Burt's Bees too?  I started to figure, if I continue to use Burt's Bees, and that division of the Clorox company has strong sales, Clorox might catch on that there are consumers out there who will buy products because they are eco-friendly and cruelty free....  I hope.

Well, I have to say this is not a simple issue with clear boundaries.  I have been doing a bunch of reading about eco-friendly, vegetarian and vegan products.  The more I read the more confusing it becomes and I don't even know sometimes if the information I am reading is even reliable.  One thing I have figured out is trying to go eco-friendly will compromise the use of animal products and going vegan will sometimes compromise being eco-friendly.  Trying to do both is damn hard to near impossible.  I'm not going to give up, I'm just going to make the best decision possible with the best information I have at hand.  The last thing I want to do is sound like an alarmist and send out the message that we are all going to die...   Also, I am far from perfect, I make mistakes, I have polluted the earth, eaten animals, used petroleum based products; yes my hands are covered in blood just like everyone elses'....  I'm just trying to do the best I can, and hope you do too.

Now, Every Month is Oktoberfest (EMIO) is the polish that made me break down. That says a lot!  It looks very close to ANNY's The Answer Is Love, which I can't get a hold of because I'm not in Europe.  EMIO is a nice dark indigo based polish with red/gold shimmer... dark and gorgeous!

Two easy coats and the formula is excellent.  EMIO is definitely one of my new favorite dark polishes.

Comments section is, of course, open to discussion!

Sinful Colors 1055 Slate

Hey Guys!

Today I have a quickie swatch, Sinful Colors, Slate.  Slate is a nice medium grey with a silver shimmer.  Like most shimmers, the formula is really easy to work with.  Here it is; two coats in early morning light.

The top coat is Etude House's Jelly Pop.  I picked this up during the 99 cent sale at Walgreens!   I love me some cheap thrills!

Thanks for watching!

Prorance Diana Manicure #1715

Hey polish maniacs! 

Today's post features a shimmery chartreuse from Diana Manicure, a Korean brand whose parent company is Prorance.  I don't know the official name of this color but it is numbered 1715.  Below is three coats.

I don't own very many colors in the yellow green family, so this turned out to be a good excercise in trying something new and loving it.  1715 is definitely a summer appropriate color.  Most shimmers I find, are easy to apply and this one follows suit.

This was a gift from Kumiko Mae, a fellow blogger, at Loving Sunshine, but I was able to find this on eBay, shipping from Seoul.

I did a post on Diana Manicure 1716 yesterday.  In case you missed it click here.

Happy viewing!  Please feel free to shamelessly promote your blog in the comments section below.

Prorance Diana Manicure #1716

Today I am so excited to show you a lovely gift sent to me from a fellow blogger, Kumiko Mae over at Loving Sunshine.  Kumiko is kind, upbeat and a generous person who blogs mainly about cosmetics and skin care.  Occasionally, she will write posts on book reviews, travel, and empowering women.  I have been most impressed by her posts on contouring makeup and false eyelashes.  As some of you know I've been having a crappy summer, but things are looking up, thanks to Kumiko and my newly repaired AC ($800 later, a couple of electrical components and 2 lbs of freon). 

Here's some of what Kumi sent me:

I've had a chance to wear Diana manicure 1716 (aqua) and the Jelly Pop top coat from Etude House.  I'm going to try to get to the other two later this week. 

The Jelly Top Coat is really nice, it makes my nails hard, shiny and dries fast.  I wore it plain and over Diana Manicure.  So far I like it.  I have yet to wear it over a glitter.  It's big 3 free too!

I can't tell if Diana Manicure has names for their colors. The label is written in Korean and the only thing I can decipher is 1716... So here it is two coats.

Gold shimmer.

1716 is a nice soft aqua with gold shimmer, so perfect for a hot summer.  It really sparkles in the bright sunshine.  The formula is really nice too, smooth and even, this was easy to apply. 

Thank you Kumi! 

Check out Loving Sunshine!  Kumi's always trying to cheer us up, "Think bright, and smile a lot." is how she ends her posts.  I'm might need an entire bottle of anitdepressants to meet Kumi's expectations, but I'll try without!  :D

Essence - Prismatic White

Hey there! 

Just the other day I walked into another manager's office and saw posted:

"Small minds talk about people.

Mediocre minds talk about events.

Great minds talk about ideas."

So has anyone been following Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise divorce?  I'm so disappointed in the swift divorce with very little details!  JK!  I was rooting for Katie Holmes and I think she pretty much won, thankfully.  Scientology is a cult.  Yes, sometimes I am small minded. I can't help it!

ANYWAYS, today I have another soft work mani to show you, Essence's Prismatic White.  This is two coats.

Prismatic White is very similar to Galaeletric except its not as sheer, and has a white base instead of purple.  There's a duochrome shimmer that flashes mostly blue and sometimes pink at a sharp angle.  Sheer but bright, feels good for a hot summer.

I haven't abandoned my glitters I just need a day off!  Plus my AC is out, and I don't want to even know how much its going to cost to fix or what the heck is wrong with it.  Anyone else having a crappy summer? 

Share in the comments section.

Essence - Galaelectric

Hey there ladies!

I was planning on layering this polish over a dark color, but I was in the mood for something light and sheer.  Sooooo, Galaelectric is what I reached for, a sheer base with strong blue shimmer duochrome that is mostly blue, but at a sharp angle, flashes pink.  Three will probably cover the nail line but liked it sheer so I stopped at two.  I love the name GALA-elecTRIC!

Once and a while this polish pops up on eBay.  Essence's "holografics" line was out last fall in limited amounts.  The formula was excellent, super smooth.  There something about shimmers that make them really smooth.  I hope they re-release this, because it is way awesome! 

Please comment and thanks for stopping by!

Essence - Blue Ray

Another quicky swatch for the weekend, Essence's Blue Ray.  This polished was released in the Fall of 2011 in limited amounts, it was such a shame because they were a steal at $1.99. Unlike Essence's Colour & Go line the "holografic" bottles are bigger at 10 ml.  I was excited to find Blue Ray on eBay for $5.50. 

The label says its a holographic but really its a duochrome, and a beautiful one at that.  Blue ray shifts from a dark blue to a aqua blue. 

Enjoy the photos and your weekend!

Color Club - Ultra Violet 865

Color Club's Ultra Violet is a vibrant fuchsia polish with aqua blue shimmer, which my camera would not pick up at all.  I took a ton of pictures but I give up.  You can see there is some kind of effect, its not a creme.  Anyhow, the formula is sheer and uber smooth.  Even though its sheer, I achieved full coverage with two coats.

Direct sunlight, tried to catch the blue shimmer, but it still very minimal when compared to the naked eye.

Color club is actually hard for me to find. I got this bottle for $2, at Sunlight nail supply.  I did a review on this supplier, click here for more.

Anyone working on a 4th of July mani?