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Feburary Nail Goodies Part 1

2012-02-12T08:53:00.003+08:00

So much for low-buy again.
Somehow, when you decide to go on a low-buy,
discounts, promotions and all that sort of nonsense would take place.

Anyway, here's part 1 of what came in:

From a swap:

The Wet n Wilds that I have been lusting over:
Believe Me It's Real,
Cost is No Issue,
and It's All in the Cut

Extras that included a mini bottle of China Glaze Matte Magic,
Art Deco silver glitter nail art striper

and the cutest nail tattoos I have ever seen!
I need to think of some nail art to work these!
LOVE!

Then at a shopping mall one day,
I chanced upon a fair where there were having polishes on clearance!
So I grabbed all these:

China Glaze Moulin Rouge and Candie.
I got these thinking of V-day.
Kinda thought I would use them for a V-day appropriate nail art

China Glaze Cloud Nine and Lemon Fizz

I have Orly Lemonade but I've been wanting to try Lemon Fizz to see which one is better.

OPI Bubble Bath and I Eat Mainely Lobster

LoL. I realise I got quite a bit of pinks this round.
I think it's because I've been glittered-out,
plus I've been wearing mostly darks for quite a bit.
Hence I needed something different.

OPI Roadhouse Blues and Metallic 4 Life.

Roadhouse Blues was a NB fave.
You can hardly go wrong with a NB fave.
And Metallic 4 Life was the only one in the Nicki Manaj collection that I was interested in.

I worked out the sums,
all these China Glaze and OPI worked out to be about $7 a bottle.
And trust me when I say that's the cheapest I've ever paid
(not counting blog sales/purges)

LA Girl Glitter Addict in Celebrate.

And I finally made my way down to the Essence stand at Taka Watsons.
So I got:
Essence Ballerina Backstage in Grand Plie in Black

Essence Color and Go in High Spirits and Rich & Pretty

In Style and Hard to Resist

And while at Watsons,
I saw that they had a display of Nails Inc Magnetic polish.
It was pretty expensive though.
$21.90 a bottle.
Those of you who are interested though should pop down to get them.

Lynnderella Lucky Numbers

2012-02-11T07:33:00.002+08:00

Quickie post.

Lynnderella Lucky Numbers

1 coat Lucky Numbers over previous Addiction mani,
+ 1 coat Glitter Tamer + Color Club QDTC

I think of this one as the red and black version of
Connect the Dots.
Love!

Addiction Aurora Collection: #13 Fall in Love

2012-02-10T05:58:00.000+08:00

My first official Valentine's Day mani

Addiction is a pretty well-known Japanese make-up brand.
This polish here is from their Fall/Winter 2011 Aurora Collection.
Aptly named Fall in Love

3 coats here + 1 coat Color Club QDTC

Although the polish looks pink in the bottle,
on me, it pulls ivory-ish pink most of the time.
In fact, it sometimes looks almost white.

But what I really love is the tiny silver and pink glitters in the polish
that gives it a lovely sparkle.

The polish is sheer enough
that you probably can use it as a sparkle layering coat on another polish,

I love how it is also build-able.
You probably can get a decent enough coverage by the 3rd or 4th coat
(depending on how thick the coats are)

Plus I love how this one applies so smoothly.
Now I can't wait to try the remaining 2 in this collection.

Holika Holika #17 Funky Green

2012-02-09T06:05:00.001+08:00

Holika Holika #17 Funky Green.
Love the bottle design,
it makes me think of multi-faceted gems.

3 coats + 1 coat Color Club Quick Dry TC

Pls excuse the improper clean-up.
The skin around my index nail is still bad,
and it was hurting when I was trying to do clean-up
so I just left it alone.

I only own 2 Holika Holika polishes,
but I think that is something I will probably rectify soon.

I wasn't expecting to be wow-ed by this one.
I admit, I bought this bottle because it was at 50% off.
I had really wanted #18 Star Khaki which I had already posted here

I had no issues with application,
and I love the sparkly forest green colour.

I think there's another red and a purple one in this series.
Like I said, I probably will go get them.

Etude House Petite Darling Nails Matte: #4 Cookie and Cream Grey

2012-02-08T05:24:00.000+08:00

Etude House Petite Darling Nails Matte collection:
#4 Cookie and Cream Grey

2 coats, no TC

Chipped in less than 24 hours on me.
Which I kinda expected since matte polishes don't usually wear well on me,
at least not without TC
(which would then defeat the purpose of a matte polish)

To be honest,
I think I must have been in one of my "mad" polish phase then.

I'm not into matte polish,
and if I really wanted something matte,
I can just grab my Nubar V-for Men Matte TC.
Voila! I can matte anything I want.

Even though I think this grey one applies quite nicely,
and looks pretty decent,
I'm not particularly enamoured with it.

The 2 pictures above are indoor shots,
while the last one below is taken while in the taxi.

Oh well.
Another one for the purge bin.

A not-so Wonky French

2012-02-07T06:08:00.000+08:00

I'm tempted to call this a wonky french,
but I realised my pictures actually made it look quite good.
Well, at least it looked a lot worse in real life.

I had the thought that since I had on a polish that was meant for a french,
I should obviously attempt one using it.

So I picked up one of the Peripera I had on the table,
and the french tip guides.

Well. Wrong move.
Never attempt to do a french mani while you are still recovering from a migraine attack.
Even with guides.

I ended up using the gold glitter striper to try to cover up the mistakes.
I have to say though,
I think I did a pretty decent cover-up job

Last one is the indoor picture.

BFTP: China Glaze French Bliss: Ooh La La Pink

2012-02-06T06:39:00.002+08:00

The first China Glaze to be posted in this Blast from the Past series.

China Glaze Ooh La La Pink,
from the French Bliss Collection.
From google search,
this collection was released Spring of 2003.

Heh. As you can see from my bottle,
its been through a bit of rough.
I found this one at a salon,
and it was really really coated with dust

3 coats + 1 coat TC

Please do excuse the cuticles and dry skin.
I didn't moisturise at all while I was ill.
And I was also constantly picking at certain spots
(like the side of my index nail)
hence it looks kinda bad now.

Ok. I didn't like this.
But there must be something about it.
Because I had 3 strangers and 4 colleagues compliment me on it.
And I promised to give the bottle to one of the colleagues
once I'm done with the photo-shoot.

Personally, I hated the streaking.
Perhaps because it was an old bottle,
perhaps it was a light pastel,
but I couldn't get it to go on smooth no matter what I did.

Online swatches of this one generally tended to look pink or peach.
However, on me it screamed a dirty beige!
And I thought the colour pulled all the yellow outta me skin tones.
I actually wondered if my bottle had de-generated with time,
and the pink pigments were no more.

The last 2 are indoor pictures.

But yeah, ok.
Since someone loves it more than I do,
it's going to go to a better home =)

Essie Luxeffects: Pure Pearlfection

2012-02-05T11:08:00.002+08:00

I'm sorry about the lack of posts.
I was down with a bad case of migraine.
I haven't had an attack this bad in years.
Usually I'm able to watch for the triggers,
and get by with a couple doses of strong painkillers.
However, this attack came very suddenly,
I was not prepared and so by the time I got to my medication,
it became a full-blown attack that lasted for days.

I couldn't do much.
Thankfully, all I had at work was to attend a week-long conference.
I have to count my lucky stars actually.
The really bad attacks would leave me stricken in bed.
I've only had a couple of those before,
and that was many many years ago.

At least this time round,
I could still haul butt to attend a conference while feeling drugged out.
Heh. Days like this,
I love my painkillers.
I need to pair them with tummy medication
(yep, they're that strong)
but man, I am so grateful for science during times like this.

I should be back to regular posting soon.
The pain has started to subside,
it's actually bearable now without meds.
I'm trying to get off the painkillers
because they really cause havoc on the tummy otherwise.

Anway, here's the mani I had on at the time of the attack.
I only got indoor pictures.

1 coat of Essie Pure Pearlfection over the previous Sephora No 57 mani.

Ok. I'm going to see what else I'm capable of in this state.

Sephora Collection No 57

2012-01-31T22:32:00.003+08:00

Ok, I need some help with the name of this one here.

Sephora Collection No. 57

I know these have names.
So I checked on the Sephora site and it says
L57 - My First Lip Kiss
(pinkish red with pink glitter)

2 coats + 1 coat TC (combined SV with OPI Rapidry)

And while my camera isn't picking up the colour accurately,
which should be a tad more purplish and a tone darker,

I'm pretty sure camera and I can tell that
this ain't any pinkish red with pink glitter

And it looks nothing like the colour drop on the website.
Yeah. Yeah.
I know. A lot of sites have colour drops that look nothing like the polish IRL
But this one is way way off.

Google isn't helping much either.

So can someone enlighten me?
What is the actual name of this polish?
Or am I looking at the wrong stuff in the wrong place?

China Glaze Let it Snow: Tinsel Town

2012-01-30T06:16:00.000+08:00

The last one in the China Glaze Let it Snow collection:
Tinsel Town

3 coats, no TC

This one was just a quick swatch,
so I didn't really bother with TC or cleanup.

Another winner from China Glaze.
Love how super blingy this one is even without TC

However, like Twinkle Lights,
I think I'll rather wear this one for a glitter gradient.

I think I'm kinda glittered out for now.
There's been a hell lot of glitters being released recently.
So much so now I find myself wanting to reach for cremes.

Last 2 are indoor pictures.

Essie New Year's Eve: Trophy Wife

2012-01-29T08:45:00.000+08:00

The last one in Essie's 2011 New Year's Eve Collection:
Trophy Wife

2 coats + 1 coat SV

Might have benefitted from a third coat,
but I was too lazy and tired after pole class.

Besides this is another one I didn't like
and is going into the purge.

Pretty teal-green colour with shimmer,
but gave me major lobster hands!

Pls do excuse the cuticles.
I'm having major problems with them right now,
and especially so after every pole lesson.

The last 2 are the indoor shots.

Ok. I know I swatched this one a day after the purge.
But if you want it,
the first person to call dibs gets it.
It'll be going for USD$4 (or a swap would be great too).

The First Purge for 2012

2012-01-28T09:00:00.002+08:00

As usual, the rules of the purge:

Locals and internationals all welcome.
Any transaction will be done via paypal or POSB bank transfer.
All prices are in USD!

Internationals, I will only send via registered post.
Will send shipping quote after confirmation of order.

Please place your order in the comment section by stating which ones you would be interested in.
Please remember to leave your email so that I am able to get in touch with you.

Open to swap offers as well.
Need cash and need to de-stash as well,
It doesn't have to be a 1-for-1 swap!

And current polishes I'm interested in are:

1) Zoya Gaia
2) Essie Size Matters
3) OPI No Bees Please
4) OPI Mod About You

Polishes being purged this month are:

Essie Dive Bar - $4 *sold*
Essie Monkey Business - $4

Rubi Shoes in Sky - $1
Color Club Who are You Wearing? - $2 *sold*

Etude House #43 - $4 *sold*
Orly Satin Society - $2 *sold*

BYS Kung Fu Blue - $4
Milani Key Lime Shine - $2

Misa Bo-Jangles - $4 *sold*
Sally Hansen Royal Romance - $2
Essie Sexy Divide Mini - $1 *sold*

P2 Crackling Topcoat in Black Explosion - $2
Sally Hansen Sequin Scandal - $3 *sold*

OPI Ulta Tiny Tinsels 2009 set:
Amethyst Twist, Berried in Gifts, Silves Belles - $4 *sold*

Ok. That's it for now.

China Glaze Let it Snow: Twinkle Lights

2012-01-27T08:36:00.000+08:00

Another polish that the mom was absolutely delighted with:
China Glaze Twinkle Lights

3 coats + 1 coat Glitter Tamer + 1 coat SV

Even with the foil method,
removal was still hell.

Super bling-tastic though,
and really gorgeous.

But at the moment,
I'll rather save that glitter for doing glitter gradients.
I think Twinkle Lights make for awesome glitter gradients.

The last 2 pictures are indoor shots.

And this round, I've also included a vid to show you the bling-ness of this polish.

CNY Nail Art: 五福临门 (Wu Fu Lin Men)

2012-01-26T09:46:00.001+08:00

As much as mom approved of the previous layering mani.
it didn't really call out to me.
The mani didn't even last 2 hours,
and I decided to remove it for nail art instead.

Here are the items used for my second CNY nail art

Essie As Gold as it Gets,
Zoya Nidhi,
Konad Special Polish in Black Gold,

Konad plate S4

Got the image off google.
I couldn't find my own pictures of my konad plates!
Guess I probably have to re-take all of them! Argh!

And here's the nail art.
Please do excuse the extremely dry skin around the nails.
It's the result of too much cooking and washing over the past few days.
And this was even after I had already moisturised!
So you can just imagine how bad it really is.

My mom dubbed this set of nail art:
五福临门 (Wu Fu Lin Men)

The literal translation:
The five fortunes have arrived at the door.

Actually I'm not sure how many people are aware of this,
but traditionally, these five fortunes refer to:
Longevity,
Wealth,
Health,
Virtue, and
a natural death.

Yeah, it's interesting how death made its way into a traditional CNY greeting.

Picture above is the indoor shot.

Last one is the lift shot.

Essie Luxeffects: As Gold as it Gets + Cute Mom Story

2012-01-25T10:12:00.007+08:00

For some reason,
almost every CNY,
my mom would take notice of my nails.
AND comment and/or give her take on it.

As you guys might have known,
mom isn't really the most supportive of my nail polish hobby.
But over the years,
she's sorta resigned,
came to terms with the fact that her daughter loves polish,
and does "funny things" (in her own words when telling relatives),
like go to the park downstairs to take pictures.

So I was helping her out in the kitchen,
when she saw my mani of OPI Glove You so Much.

Mom: "Aiyoh! It's CNY! Why you wear black polish?"
Me: "It's not black. It's a very deep red"

*Mom grabs my hands and peers closely*
Mom: "It looks black to me."
Me: "No mom. I'll show you what black is."

*Goes digging for bottle of OPI Black Onyx and Glove You so Much*
Me: "There you go. This is black. This is the one I used. It's red. Definitely not black"

*Mom inspects both bottles that I handed over*
Mom: "Aiyoh! Why the bottle so small, you also buy? So small, is it easy to paint?"
*Me trying to keep a straight face*
Me: "Not really. The brush is terrible sometimes."

*Mom opens the mini bottle to inspect the brush*
Mom: "Next time don't buy the small ones. So hard to paint. And this is not red. It's brown! Why you paint brown on CNY?"

*Clutching sides, trying not to laugh*
Me: "Ok, I'll go change it"

*Adds a layer of Essie As Gold as it gets and shows mom*
*Mom inspects hands again*
Mom: "Not red. But much better. This polish is so much nicer than the other one!"

So, here you go,
Another mani courtesy of mom =)

Since there was slightly stronger sun in the afternooon,
the first 2 pictures are my attempts at trying the capture the shimmer in the "brown polish"

Yeah. I kinda ran down after painting the first nail with the Essie when I saw the sun.
As mom would say, "Crazy girl!"

Here's the bottle shot of Essie As Gold as it Gets.

And here it is:
1 coat over the earlier Glove You so Much mani + 1 coat SV.

My bottle of the Essie came across as being thick and slightly on the goopy side.
But it's definitely jam-packed with those gold flakes.

I might wanna give it a few more tries before I add thinner to it.
It's nothing terribly unmanagable yet.

Best part, it's got mom's seal of approval!
"Not red but better!"
LoL!

Next shot is taken indoors.

And the last one was in the lift.

BFTP: OPI I'm Wishing for Red mini: Glove You so Much

2012-01-24T12:12:00.004+08:00

Ok, this one's the last of the Blast from the Past series for this month.

From the 2009 Holiday Wishes collection,
OPI I'm Wishing for Red mini set:
Glove You so Much.

3 coats + 1 coat SV

Actually, this one was ok in 2 coats.

But for some reason,
my hands kept hitting the bottle while I was painting the nails.

Seriously. It's a freaking mini bottle.
But you know the number of times I kept hitting it accidentally?!
SIX!!

Like some damn magnetic force that the nails needed to keep "kissing" that damn bottle.

Glove You so Much is a deep maroon shimmer.
Kinda reminds me of velvet actually.

Oh! Forgot to add.
The pictures were taken in overcast skies.
So while the sun peeked through,
it wasn't enough to let the shimmer in the polish show through.

The last 2 pictures here are the indoor shots.

No worries,
I didn't forget about Smitten with Mittens.
It's just that I managed to snag myself a BN bottle of it,
so I have the full-sized Smitten with Mittens on its way to me now.
I kinda figured that I can now purge/give away this entire mini set
(with the Smitten with Mittens mini untouched)
for someone else who's been lemming it.

Spring Blossoms for CNY 2012

2012-01-23T11:00:00.003+08:00

To all my readers who celebrate the Lunar New Year:

Wishing you health and happiness in the Year of the Dragon!

I did a set of nail art that is inspired by the spring blossoms in the picutre above.

Items used are:
Estessimo TINS #603 Mom's Kilim,
OPI Vodka & Caviar,
China Glaze Lemon Fizz,
Black acrylic paint.

And here's my spring blossoms to usher in the Year of the Dragon =)

erm... I rotated the pictures upside down.
It's how I intended the flowers to look,
but I couldn't twist my hand around for the pictures.
Not unless I was Ms Rubber-Hands...

I found it strange though to look at pictures upside down.
I kept turning my head around when adding those watermarks...

Ok here's one that has the normal orientation.

The next 2 are taken in the lift.

And the last one was shot last night using my Iphone.

Have a great CNY everyone!

China Glaze Let it Snow: Ring in the Red

2012-01-22T20:34:00.004+08:00

I've been saving this one for today:
China Glaze Ring in the Red

1 coat Ring in the Red over 2 coats of China Glaze Poinsettia.
White rose nail sticker for accent.
1 coat SV

It's the eve of the Lunar Chinese New Year (CNY),
so I really wanted a red manicure.

And I didn't want anything too complicated either,

because I usually have quite a bit to do,
since I've to help with the CNY preparations;
helping to prepare the reunion dinner,
last minutes cleaning up, etc.

This next shot is taken in the lift.
Heh. It's my new place to take nail pictures!
LoL!

Last 2 are indoor shots.

Tony Moly Galaxy Collection: GT03 Mars

2012-01-21T19:34:00.003+08:00

The third one in the awesome Galaxy collection:
GT03 Mars

2 coats + 1 coat Glitter Tamer + 1 coat SV

I have to say,
my pictures don't do this one justice.

It's a hell lot more sparkly in real life.

Gold + Copper + some sparse Blue glitters suspended in Brown Jelly base.

Next picture was shot in the lift.
I find that glitters look exceptionally pretty while under the lights in this particular lift.
And if you ignore the redness of my skin,
the polish is actually most colour accurate in this lift-shot.

Next 2 are taken while in a taxi.

I know it looks really bumpy,
but the Glitter Tamer worked its wonders.
Its actually smooth as glass to the touch.

In fact,
I find that I kept stroking my fingers across the surface of my nails,
because I couldn't stop marvelling at the miracle of the Glitter Tamer!

Brand Feature of the Month: Misa Bo-Jangles

2012-01-20T23:51:00.002+08:00

Next one to head into the purge pile:

Misa Bo-Jangles

3 coats + 1 coat SV

Previously, I had already wanted to purge this,
but held back because I was always afraid that I'll regret doing it.

I'm quite determined to do so this time though.

Because I never even once reached for it since the first time I swatched it.

And I hate the way it looks on me.

Next 2 pictures were taken in the office under florescent lights

It's a pretty pink-orange/copper duochrome,
but I just can't agree with it.

Last picture was shot in a taxi (as usual).

Do you guys ever have polishes that you don't really like,
but would be too afraid to purge?

China Glaze Let it Snow: Glittering Garland

2012-01-19T23:05:00.002+08:00

I need to hurry up in my swatching.
I realise I still have quite a bit to go,
and there are a couple of nail art ideas that I really want to attempt.
Gah! Time!
I need you!

Next up from the China Glaze Let it Snow collection:
Glittering Garland

2 coats + 1 coat SV

I know this one has been compared quite a bit to Orly Meet Me Under the Mistletoe.
In fact,
its been said that the Orly is more blue-toned,
while Glittering Garland is has more yellow in it.

But do you know which other polish came to mind as well?
Elianto Racing Green

Interestingly, I thought of Racing Green first,
before Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

I'll have to compare all 3 soon.

It would definitely help in my de-stashing process.

Essie New Year's Eve: Dive Bar

2012-01-17T23:09:00.002+08:00

Another quickie post

Essie Dive Bar

2 coats + 1 coat SV

My camera battery was dying on me when I snapped these shots.
Thankfully they all turned out ok.

Last one's a in the taxi shot,
taken with the last breath of my camera.

More Nail Mail of the Awesome Sort...

2012-01-16T08:55:00.002+08:00

I'm going on a low buy for now.
The nail mails that have come in have been awesome.
And many.
To the extent that the stash in the office now looks like this:

The drawer's filled to the max.
It now squeaks when I pull it open!
And I just can't dump anymore in,
I won't be able to close it otherwise.

And this is the result of having received 3 awesome parcels...
You'll see.

Ok first up.
The Golden Rose.
This was bought way before I imposed the low buy.
So I'm not counting these in! LOL!
#37 and #224

I think these 2 are from a different line,
Magic Color Nail lacquer in #103 and #63

In Dec, Overall Beauty had some promo going on,
and hence I placed my first Overall Beauty order for these:

Balboa Beach Bunny,
Hermosa Surfer Girl,
Fairy Blood
(Yeah, I did say I was in the mood for red recently didn't I)

Cult Nails Let Me Fly,
and Ozotic Mish Mash #533

I've been lusting after the new Ozotic Mish Mash!
Sigh. But they are a little pricey,
so I'm just going to take my time to obtain these.

Then Llarowe got the Lynnderellas in,
so I got,

Very Pretty Vampire,
Lucky Numbers

Thank Blue,
Attitude Adjust-Mint

Snow Angel
and the Glitter Tamer.

Glitter Tamer has been super awesome!
I've used it twice already on hungry glitter polishes with great results!
LOVE!

Then I had a swap with Michy of the blog Wacky Original.
She emailed me to say she sent a huge box over,
but it was a "Oh My Holy Cow!" moment when I got the parcel.
She sent 58 freaking awesome bottles!
58!

I tell you,
when that box landed on my table,
I was stunned.
Then my good friend and colleague came over
and she was stunned too.
SO much so she organised them and took a group shot.
I haven't gotten that pic from her yet,
but here are the 58 awesome bottles

11 mini bottles from Sally Girl

These don't have names,
so its just the pictures

These are my first bottles from Sally Girl
and I have to say,
the glitters look awesome!

And in my friend's words,
the bottles are "just too cute and to die for!"
The last one in the pic above is a mini bottle of China Glaze Ruby Pumps.

I already have the normal sized bottle of Ruby Pumps though.
so I'm thinking of gifting this one to someone who would love it too.

Nicole by OPI Glitters for Holiday 2011:
My Sleigh's in the Shop,
Orna-ment for Each Other

Glitter in my Stocking,
Snow-man of my Dreams

Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolors:
It's all about the Glam,
Kendall on the Katwalk

Scherer Chameleon in Blue Sky,
10 Professional Nail Lacquer in Starstruck

FingerPaints Merry & Bright 2011 Holiday Collection:
Drummer Boy,
Winter Sky,
and Comet's Collar

Nina Ultra Pro in:
Purple-Xing,
and Glamrock

I've been lusting over Purple-Xing for the longest time!
Never thought I'll get it!

A 5 pack nail polish from Hard Candy

Wet n Wild Wild Shine in:
5,4,3,2,1
and Whose Lips are These?

Heh. That name seriously cracked me and my friend up.

City Color in:
Dark Green and Dark Blue.

Yeah. How original.

These are also my first City Colors.

Revlon Blue Mosaic and Starry Pink

Both have been major lemmings too!

Revlon Top Speed in:
Decadent,
Glitz & Glam

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Thinking of Blue,
Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat in Distressed Denim

Icing Witch's Brew and Epic Winning

Yay! Epic Winning! Another lemming down!

Icing Electric Emerald
A no name Claire's polish.

I love the cap! Amazing bling!

Confetti in Tinsel, Sugar Plums and Green with Envy

Pure Ice in Oh Baby!, Strapless and Vineyard

The Sally Hansen Gem Crush collection in:
Glitz Gal,
Bling-tastic

Showgirl Chic,
Big Money

Lady Luck,
Cha-Ching!

Be-Jeweled,
and Razzle Dazzler.

Phew! That's it!
Now you know why I need the low-buy?
Heh. At least till the OPI Holland Collection.
And maybe the new Essies...

Argh! I need to purge!

Essie Bring on the Bling: School of Hard Rocks

2012-01-15T17:01:00.003+08:00

I only got 2 polishes from Essie's Bring on the Bling collection.
You guys have already seen Bobbing for Baubles,

this one here is School of Hard Rocks

2 coats + 1 coat SV

Essie has been coming up with some pretty decent colours recently.

School of Hard Rocks is another one which I love.

Greyed out moss-green.
Subtle and still edgy.

No issues with application either.
Another bonus!

Last one is the indoor picture.

Kinda makes me wonder if I should be getting the others in this collection too.

BFTP: OPI I'm Wishing for Red: Dear Santa

2012-01-14T00:05:00.002+08:00

Another Blast from the Past post.
Quick one though.
I'm just back from work
and I'm exhausted.

OPI Dear Santa

2 coats + 1 coat SV

Looks a little glass-flecked
but is actually gold glitter.

Orly Holiday Soiree: Androgynie

2012-01-12T23:07:00.002+08:00

The second (and last) bottle I got from Orly's Christmas offering:
Androgynie

1 coat of OPI Black Onyx (underwear) + 2 coats Androgynie + 1 coat SV

When I first saw promo pictures of Androgynie,
I was sold and really wanted to get my hands on it.

But I got worried when I started reading that Androgynie wasn't as good as it seemed in the bottle.
Until people started posting about tips to get it to look good.

1) Turn your bottle of Androgynie upside down the day/night before you want to paint using it.

2) Put on a dark underwear so that you don't have to use so many coats.
Then the glitter won't sink in and disappear.

I used 2 coats of Androgynie in this.
But I'm going to see how a single coat would look over a proper dark base.
1 coat of Black Onyx wasn't opaque enough.

And I'm also thinking that it may look good over polishes like China Glaze Midtown Magic, Sally Hansen Sequin Scandal.
Definitely trying that out.

The First Tape Mani of 2012

2012-01-11T23:03:00.002+08:00

Originally I had wanted to show you guys another one of the Tony Moly Galaxy glitters.
However, the day I put on the polish marked the start of a few days of rain.
Hence all I could get of the polish was this one single shot taken while I was alone in the lift.

Tony Moly GT02 Earth.
2 coats + 1 coat Lynnderella Glitter Tamer + 1 coat SV

I know the mani probably looks a little bumpy in my picture,
but trust me.
Glitter Tamer works wonders.
I'm in love with it!

Anyway, GT02 Earth chipped after my dance class,
but I'm sure you can understand why I was reluctant to change the mani.
Instead I grabbed another bottle for a funky french

Polishes used:
L.A Girls Metallic Silver,
and GT02 Earth.

And decided to go for a tape mani.
My very first one for 2012!

Pretty pleased myself with this mani =)

Review of the Month: Crabtree & Evelyn Gardener's Hand Therapy

2012-01-10T05:42:00.000+08:00

Heh. I think my entire office knows I'm on the lookout for hand creams.
The Christmas that just passed,
I got tons of hand creams!
At least 6 different ones!

Anyway, the one I have reviewed for you guys today,
is the Crabtree & Evelyn Gardener's Hand Therapy.

And here's my banged-up and used 25 ml tube (travel size).
I got this one as a gift as well.
But way before Christmas.
It lasted me almost a month and a half or so of regular use.

I read on MUA that this particular hand cream had a lot of rave reviews.
However, personally,
I don't think I would ever go back to this one.

The scent puts me off.
It's clove based,
and there is a strong herbal/medicated scent.
The kind which you either love it or hate it.

The scent took me a while to get used to,
and even then, it still isn't something that I enjoy.
On bad days,
I actually get a little nauseous from the smell.

Those of you who are not able to take the scent of The Body Shop's Tea Tree line,
you might want to stay far away from this one as well.
The scent on this Gardener's Hand Therapy is similar.

By the way,
I love the Body Shop's Tea Tree range of products,
but it took me a long time before I could get used to that scent.
And even now,
I cannot use the Tea Tree wipes without getting a headache after.

Ok. Back to the hand cream before I go off-topic.

The Gardener's Hand Therapy feels greasy during the initial application,
but is absorbed pretty quickly.
However, if I use too much,
it felt like there was a layer of greasy residue
that refused to be absorbed.

Also I didn't feel like this hand cream was particularly moisturizing.
There were times when I had to re-apply it a few times throughout the day.
I'm not sure though if this was because I had intensified my pole sessions recently,
and hence the hands are suffering more as a result of the grip powder.

The other thing I thought might put some people off was the design.
For those of you who are looking for something that would stand on your dresser or counter,
forget this.
There is no way this tube is going to do any miracle standing up,
unless its propped up by other stuff.

That actually doesn't really bother me,
cos I find it quite handy to have in the purse.
But the cap can be seriously annoying at times,
especially if you're applying this while on the go.
I dropped the cap a couple of times and that really irked me.

Ok, like I said,
I think this one got rave reviews from quite a bunch of people.
But this is definitely not for me.

Essie New Year's Eve: Sexy Divide

2012-01-09T06:11:00.000+08:00

Another repromote from Essie 2011 New Year's Eve collection:
Sexy Divide

As with Steel-ing the Scene,
I already owned the mini bottle of this much earlier.

2 coats + 1 coat SV

Again, I apologise for the half past six clean-up here.
Again, I did the mani just before I ran out of the house.

Ok, Sexy Divide is pretty.
Purple with pink and blue shimmer.

But I think there's been quite a lot of good shades released recently,
so I'm actually not too impressed with this one.

Last pic is an indoor shot.

Nevermind.
Another one for the purge.

Brand Feature of the Month: Misa Road Warrior

2012-01-08T06:30:00.000+08:00

I was looking through my own blog a while back,
and I realised 2 things:
1) There are some brands which I hardly seem to feature on the blog
2) I would like to re-do some of the swatches and nail art of the past.
The pictures are just terrible.

So I've also decided to add in a Brand Feature of the Month series.
And this month,
I'm kick-starting it off with Misa.
For some reason,
Misa seems to get neglected a lot.

Misa Road Warrior.
I've done this one before,
but I feel it deserves better pictures,
even if it does not really suit my skin tone.

3 coats + 1 coat SV
Accent = 2 coats Lippmann Devil in a Blue Dress + 1 coat Road Warrior + 1 coat SV

I think duochrome/multichrome polishes look different in different lights,
so I took pictures in various kinds of lighting conditions.

All these are the ones in sunlight.

Here's how the bottle looks in my office's florescent lights

And how the polish looks on the nails under the same florescent lights.

In the taxi with the sun on the nails.

In the taxi minus the sun.

Orly Holiday Soiree 2010: Au Champagne

2012-01-07T06:30:00.002+08:00

From the Orly 2010 Holiday Soiree collection:
Au Champagne

3 coats + 1 coat SV

Pls ignore the smudge you see.
I did this mani after midnight,
and was so tired, I dropped straight into bed.
I'm lucky to have just gotten away with that one smudge.

Needed something different from the deep and dark shades or the glitters
So this proved a wonderful respite!

Initially I didn't pay attention to this polish at all,
until I saw it on a blog.

Lovely soft white with a silvery shimmer
I wanna try this one out with a flakie as well.
I think it would look like opals on my nails!

Formula wise,
there definitely is much room for improvement though.
The bottle I got was thick and goopy.
Made it kinda hard to apply,
and I needed to watch out for streaking.
Not sure though if the streaking was because the polish didn't agree with the Orly Bonder basecoat
(which would be really surprising since they are both from the same brand!)

Nevertheless,
this is one polish that I really love.
I'm going to try add thinner to it
and we'll see how that goes.

Last picture is snapped while in a cab

BFTP: OPI I'm Wishing for Red 2009: Meet and Jingle

2012-01-06T06:04:00.000+08:00

The next Blast from the Past collection that I'm going to feature,
is the mini set from OPI's 2009 Holiday Wishes collection.
This mini set is called I'm Wishing for Red,
and (you guessed it!) it comprises of 4 red polishes from that collection.

The only reason why I got my hands on this set,
was because I regretted not getting Smitten with Mittens when it was readily available.
By the time I got around to lusting it,
Smitten with Mittens had become HTF
and went on ebay for ridiculous prices.

My only option was to get this set,
since it contained a mini bottle of Smitten with Mittens.

Well, better a mini bottle than none right?

And since the Chinese Lunar New Year is just coming up at the end of this month,
I really wanted to do some red manis.
Plus I'm kinda into red polishes recently.
Nothing more apt than a mini set that says
"I'm Wishing for Red".

Anyway, I'll save Smittens with Mittens for a later date.
Instead, I have for you today:
Meet and Jingle.

2 coats + 1 coat SV

Actually I think this one is the most boring of the 4 polishes featured.
Nothing too extreme about the polish formula.

Even though I'm into reds now,
this is still boring to me.

Ok,
I ain't gonna say much more.
Just check out the pictures k

Zoya Gemma

2012-01-05T06:58:00.000+08:00

Zoya Gemma

3 coats + 1 coat TC

Gemma was one of my biggest disappointment in 2011.
I saw online swatches and wanted so much to love this one on me.

Dusty olive green with slight blue shimmer.
The base green looked terribly drab on me.

And that blue shimmer was so slight,
I can only see it in the sun.

Oh well.
I'm going to be sending this one away.
Hopefully the new owner would like it better than I do.

BFTP: OPI Ulta Tiny Tinsels 2009 Silver Belles

2012-01-04T06:24:00.000+08:00

Another Blast from the Past post.

The last one in the Tiny Tinsels collection:
Silver Belles

2 coats + 1 coat TC

and some black stones in an attempt at an accent nail art.

Officially my first nail art mani for 2012,
and a nail art fail at that!

My mom actually thought it was a black worm on my nail!
(She only saw one hand and not both...)

Silver Belles itself is just yet another silver foil.
Ok, maybe it leans a little on the gun-metal grey side,
but still, its silver foil.

A tad thick and goopy too.
Me no likey.
Especially when its in a tiny bottle with a horrid brush.

Last 2 pictures are taken while in the taxi.

Essie Bring on the Bling: Bobbing for Baubles

2012-01-03T06:17:00.000+08:00

Essie Bobbing for Baubles

3 coats + 1 coat SV

Bobbing the Baubles is ok in 2 coats.
I wanted to layer something over it,
but haven't made up my mind.

So I did 2 coats sans the quick-dry TC
and went to bed.
Woke up with sheet marks which I didn't want to show you guys,
hence the 3rd coat.

I really love this polish.
It's an awesome dusty deep blue/teal.
Pretty as a mani,
gorgeous for pedi
and it makes a really good base for layering.

I've already worn this polish at least 4 or 5 times since I got it.

Since Chanel Blue Rebel and this Essie,
I've been mesmerized by deep dark blues.
I'm now wondering if I should get my hands on OPI Ski Till We Drop.
Are they different enough to justify getting another bottle?

Sally Hansen Sequin Scandal vs L'Oreal Owl's Night

2012-01-02T07:53:00.001+08:00

I wasn't really in the mood for a proper mani,
so I decided to do a comparison instead.
Particularly since I have been very curious about these 2 ever since they landed in my hands.

Sally Hansen Sequin Scandal vs L'Oreal Owl's Night

The first one was taken outdoors in the sun,
and the second one indoors.
But somehow the pictures look like the order should be reversed.

Pinky + Middle = Sequin Scandal
Ring + Index = Owl's Night

2 coats + 1 coat SV for each.

I took plenty of pictures.

As you can tell,
while the 2 polishes are not exact dupes,
they're a little similar.

Or more like Owl's Night is the amp-ed up version of Sequin Scandal.

Owl's Night has more of the gold flecks,
and as such is definitely sparklier.
Otherwise, the base is pretty much the same.

Although I lusted after both for quite a while before I got them,
I think I will purge one of them eventually.

China Glaze Let it Snow: Blue Year's Eve

2012-01-01T00:00:00.001+08:00

HAPPY 2012 Everyone!
I hope you all had a great time ushering in the new year!

I thought this would be the most apt polish to wear for New Year's Eve.
China Glaze Blue Year's Eve,
from the Let it Snow collection.

3 coats + 1 coat Seche Vite TC

I apologise for the lack of clean-up here.
I was rushing this mani along,
and did it just 15 minutes before I had to run outta the house.

Nevertheless, I don't think the lack of clean-up would distract you from the beauty of this polish.

Gorgeous glass-flecked blue/turquoise polish

Personally I think China Glaze does one of the best glass-flecked polishes.
I'm always looking forward to their glass-flecked ones.

This picture is taken indoors.

The last 3 pictures were shot while in the cab.

BFTP: Ulta Tiny Tinsels 2009 Amethyst Twist

2011-12-31T11:23:00.003+08:00

Another Blast from the Past post.
Quick one though.
I need to run out soon.

Ulta Tiny Tinsels 2009:
Amethyst Twist.

4 coats + TC

Do note though that 4 coats was the result of having to refresh the mani.
This one was completely opaque in 2 coats.

Amethyst Twist was the one that led me to the search for this collection.
When I saw swatches online,
I really wanted this one bad.

Pretty sparkly vampy purple.

Last 4 are pictures taken while in a cab

Nubar Boyfriend Jeans

2011-12-28T23:22:00.002+08:00

Quick post.
Just came back from work,
& I'm super exhausted.
Plus you guys have seen this before.

Nubar Boyfriend Jeans

3 coats + 1 coat TC

Last picture is an indoor one.

Nail Mail again! & the most AWESOME X'mas pressie this year!

2011-12-27T16:38:00.006+08:00

Ok. I did say I hauled a shit load of polishes right.
Here's Part 3 of December's haulage.
And erm... I'm still pending a parcel from Llarowe and another from Overall Beauty.
So there's a part 4 still...

So anyway, this was a purge sale that morphed into a CP (Yeah!):

The Color Club Beyond the Mistletoe set.
And she labelled all the polishes too!
That was a really nice and sweet touch!
Totally appreciative!

I'll just leave you to read the names of the polishes k!

Last one is Beyond the Mistletoe and Holiday Splendor
Sorry! Camera battery was running flat,
and in the hurry to get the pictures,
I think I forgot to snap the names for these last two bottles.

China Glaze Mrs Claus,
and the TC that came along with the Color Club set.
I'm not too sure if this one is quick dry though.
Anyone care to share pls?

Then Rescue Beauty Lounge had their Bring it Back pre-order.
And this time round,
I didn't want to miss out on getting the last 2 Tudors,
So I got:

Moxie & Locavore

Kinda wondering now if I would regret Moxie.
It looked a little like OPI Fireflies and Megawatt!
Both of which I haven't really gotten down to proper single swatches,
because I don't really like how they look on me.

Well. I guess, there is always the option to eventually purge it

Jane & Catherine H

Then my boss/colleague/friend came back from her vacation in Japan,
and bought me the most awesome X'mas present I have ever received this year!

Ever heard of the brand Addiction?
I've totally coveted and lusted and lemmed for their stuff!
Eye shadows, lippies and of course, nail polish!

And my boss/colleague/friend came back with their fall collection:
The Aurora Collection,
which consists of:

#013 Fall in Love
(OoooOooh... Yeah baby! In love with that sparkle!)

#014 Misty Rain

and the most AMAZING #015 Jewel Beetle.

And you know what?!
I did ask her to help me keep an eye out for this set,
but I was prepared to pay for it,
because I calculated and it cost close to SGD$30 a bottle.

But my boss/colleague/friend didn't want to accept
and instead said it was my X'mas present.
Awwww....
I was just astounded, stunned, appreciative and all that!
Gobsmacked!

I did say that I love where I work right?
I can say that again?
I love my colleagues/friends.
I love where I work
*biggie grin*

Boxing Day Mani

2011-12-26T23:13:00.004+08:00

Been thinking about using these 2 polishes together for a festive mani:
China Glaze Twinkle Lights & Ring in the Red.

Thank goodness the sun co-operated this round.

4 coats of Ring in the Red.
Sponged on Twinkle Lights at the base.
Snow Flake stickers on ring finger for accent.

This was my second attempt at sponging!
I quite like it!
I wouldn't have been able to achieve a base glitter gradient otherwise.

I really like this!
Only problem was there were major chips half a day later.
I think 4 coats of the glitter might have been too thick.

The next time I swatch Ring in the Red,
I'm going to do it over another red.

See how glowy and sparkly?
I kept staring at my nails the entire time!
Heh. And while shopping,
I caught a couple of ladies staring at them too =P

Last one is taken inside a cab.

Nubar Jeans Collection: Dark Wash Jeans

2011-12-25T13:17:00.004+08:00

So while waiting in vain for the sun today
(its raining again)
to get pictures of Nubar Boyfriend Jeans,

I remembered that I still have pictures of Dark Wash Jeans somewhere.

2 coats + 1 coat TC

Accent nail done with nail art stickers.
Sorta my first Christmas nail art for this year!

I only did 2 Christmas nail art so far.
The other one was a Essie Bobbing for Baubles sponged with ChG Tinsel Town mani.
Unfortunately I have no pictures of that one.
Blame it on the weather.
The mani chipped before the sun could come around.
Boo.

My Boyfriend Jeans mani isn't holding up too well either now.

So I might just do another Christmas sponging mani tonight.
And hope for the best again tomorrow.
I miss the sun.

Ah! And before I forget =)
Merry Christmas folks!

Essie New Year's Eve: Steel-ing the Scene

2011-12-24T22:58:00.003+08:00

Before I get to today's post,
there's a couple of announcements to be made.

1) There will be no purge for this month.
I've sent away (or am sending away) several polishes in swaps,
and as such,
I don't have any new polishes for purge.
The ones available are the same ones in the November purge
which you can view if you click on the link in the side bar to your right.

2) Given the gloomy weather Singapore has been experiencing,
I have no hopes of finishing the collections that I aimed to do so this month.
I'll try to do whatever I can,
and complete them in January.

Ok. Back to today's post.
Actually I didn't have much hopes that I could get pictures today.
But as I was leaving my house,
there came this brief spot of bright sunshine.
These were the only pictures I managed to snap,
before the rain came down again.

Essie Steel-ing the Scene from their New Year's Eve collection.
This collection actually comprises of re-promotes,
none of them are new colours in that sense.

3 coats + 1 coat TC

I actually bought this bottle a few years back.
Never got around to using it because I regretted getting it immediately.
Doesn't suit my skintone at all.

Otherwise I would think is this could be an interesting polish.
It's not exactly grey or silver.
In some lights, it looks brownish,
and at other times, a little sage green.

I don't know.
Does steel look like this?

And the finishing is interesting too.
It looked like it could be a frost or chrome when I applied it.
However, when the polish dried,
much of the brushstrokes also disappeared.

I was too tired last night to attempt,
but I'm curious to know how this would turn out with an additional sponged-on coat.

And here's the last picture I snapped before the rain came thundering down.

Hopefully there's be another brief spot of sunshine tomorrow!

Orly Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

2011-12-23T23:43:00.000+08:00

Sorry guys about the lack of posts this week.
It's been a horridly busy week at work,
plus it's been grey skies and heavy downpours.
No chance for me to get any pictures taken.
And the one time the sun came shining through?
I didn't realise that my camera battery was flat till it was too late.

Finally this morning,
we had some sun.
Like for maybe 10 minutes?!
So here I have for you,
Orly Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

4 coats + TC

Ok. This gorgeous polish doesn't need 4 coats really.
It's just that I had to refresh the mani
because I really wanted to get pictures of this beauty.

I can understand why this one is so loved on the NB

Awesome blue - green - teal colour shifts
I think this finish is called glass-flecked? Yes?

Can't believe I waited for so long to put this one on!

Last 2 pictures are indoor ones.

Tony Moly Galaxy Nails: GT01 Mercury

2011-12-18T19:19:00.003+08:00

I think some of you have been waiting for this collection to be posted:

The first one in the Galaxy Nails collection:
GT01 Mercury

2 coats + 1 coat TC

Absolutely gorgeous glitter.
There's silver, red, teal and gold glitters.

I think the base is a black jelly,
but I can't be too sure cos this is jam-packed with glitter.

The 1 coat of TC ain't enough.
It's still gritty and bumpy.

But I was too lazy to do another layer of TC

I ordered the Lynnderella Glitter Tamer though.
Hopefully, it would help the next time.

Awesome right?
No need for me to say too much =)

Part 2: Local Nail Mail's here!

2011-12-15T23:25:00.003+08:00

Ok. Part 2 of the "Holy Cow! How did I spend so much" haul.
Here are the ones that I ordered from local ebay seller opi*licious:

The entire Orly Mineral FX collection,
which includes:

Rock Solid,
Emberstone,

Rock the World,
Stone Cold,

Rock It,
and Rococo A-Go-Go

And another 2 more Orlys from their Holiday Soiree Collection:
Au Champagne,
and Androgynie.

Initially I only wanted Androgynie from this collection,
until I saw someone's online swatch
(again I cannot remember whose!)
then I added in Au Champagne to my order.

The Holiday Soiree polishes also come with a little mini file!
How adorable!

2 of the Essie Luxeffects:
Pure Pearlfection,
and Essie As Gold As It Gets

I didn't get Shine of the Times.
Since it has been widely reported that its a dupe of Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure,
I figured I didn't need it then =)

I also got the China Glaze Eye Candy collection:

Lorelei's Tiara,
Some Like it Haute,

Marry a Millionaire
(heh. I wish I could),
Material Girl,

and Love Marilyn.
I'm really glad I got every bottle in the silver caps!
I'm anal.
It would have driven me nuts if I had one that was a black cap!

I also got the CND Stickey Anchoring Base Coat to try.
I've heard much rave on NB for this BC.
Since I don't like Orly Bonder,
I'm hoping this would be the next great alternative.

My friend decided that Baileys should take an interest in his mama's hobby!
LoL!

I still have those that I ordered from overseas sites that are not here yet.
I'll post then as and when they arrive.
Meanwhile,
I definitely have more than enough polishes to drool over! =)

Jeans War: Chanel Blue Rebel vs Nubar Dark Wash Jeans

2011-12-14T00:00:00.002+08:00

Here's the last instalment of the Jeans War Series.
Yeah. Finally.

Chanel Blue Rebel vs Nubar Dark Wash Jeans

Pinky + Middle fingers = Chanel Blue Rebel
Ring + Indec fingers = Nubar Dark Wash Jeans

2 coats for each polish + 1 coat TC

Pls ignore the lousy cuticles and skin.
This is a combination of air-conditioning,
over use of grip powder,
and testing a new hand lotion which is absolutely not working for me.

Anyway, if you can tell from the pictures,
finally, these two are not dupes for each other.

Blue Rebel is actually a slightly lighter shade,
and comes across as more blue.
The tone difference is most apparent in bright lighting,
and especially under the sun.

Personally I very much prefer the Chanel one,
which came as a surprise to me.
I was ready to diss the Chanel one.

But in this instance,
not only did I prefer the tone on me,
the Chanel actually wore just that slight better than the Nubar!
Surprise and Shock!
I spotted a chip in the Nubar the next afternoon and tipwear
before I saw the same effect in the Chanel just a couple hours later.

Darn. Ok.
Maybe the Chanels aren't that bad afterall.

Holy Cow! Awesome Nail Mail + Haul (Part 1)

2011-12-12T05:27:00.001+08:00

Ok. I have a lot of goodies coming my way this month.
Seriously a lot.
I got an OMG awesome swap package all the way from France,
courtesy of Marie of blog Mon Coin a Moua.
(Thank you so much babe!)
And I hauled.
Major ass hauling.
You'll see

First up,
I went back to Watsons to check out more of the Golden Rose polishes.
Plus someone stole my bottle of Golden Rose #60 that I hauled the last round!
I was so pissed,
but I had to get another bottle.
So that I can swatch that #60 soon.
Then I can recognise the dumb ass who dares to nip my polish!
Right off my work station to boot!

There's been a damn thief in the office lately.
Nothing major has gone missing,
but stuff like someone's ice cream in the office freezer,
a box of chocolates, office stationery supplies, boxes of fruits on tables,
and even the soft toy on my table has gone missing!
Dumb ass probably thought I wouldn't realise that I'm missing a bottle.
What saddens me most is that it is very likely an inside job.

Ok. Side-track.
Back to the haul.
Here's the new Golden Rose polishes that I brought back with me:

#70 & #94
I think both of these are meant more for layering.
And they look either like gold flakies or weirdly shaped gold glitter.
I'm not very sure cos it's a little hard to tell in the bottle

#37 & #69

#63 & #226

And while at Watsons,
I also found this!

The Revlon counter had a stand that had all the Scented polishes
and wait... there's more!

The freaking Revlon Top-Speeds!!

I was so excited!
Until I saw the damn price!
$12.90 for the Scented polishes
and $14.90 for the Top-Speeds!
WTH! Talk about feeling let-down!

*Sigh*
So I put back Jelly, Cloud, Hazy, Chili, Guava, Electric and a couple more.

But oh well.
If you desperately need Revlon Royal in your life,
its now available in Sg.
(I'm glad I got mine in a blog sale)

To make myself feel happier about not getting the Revlons,
I stopped by another drugstore Guardians
and got myself these LA Girl polishes:

Color Addict in Idol & Disorder.
Been lemming after these after seeing swatches.
The other one that I wanted (but was out of stock) is Intoxicate.
These are $9/bottle by the way.

And on the way back,
I walked past the Beauty Credit store,
and saw that they had a polish gift set deal.

So I got these 3: #03, #16 and #17

And it comes with a free strawberry-scented nail polish remover.

This duo came along when I was shopping for swaps:

pa A24 & AA14

Then while browsing blogs,
I came across the awesome cat-shaped bottles of the Korean brand Peripera.
And knew I just had to get my hands on them.
So I placed an online order for:

P032 & P027
Don't they look cool?!
And that duochrome that is P027!
Can't wait to try that one out!

While browsing through their site,
they also had this limited edition collection.
I thought the bottles were kinda pretty
so I got 2 of them to try as well:

PP109 & GR309

Another day while doing some Christmas shopping,
I passed by the Paul & Joe counter,
and they had their holiday collection out.
2 of them caught my eye and came home with me:

#021 Hallelujah! and #022 O. Holy Night
Don't you think that glitter in Hallelujah! looks awesome?

Then at the MAC counter,
the Gareth Pugh collection:

Hyper & Ascension

View from the top to give you a better sense of the multi-chrome.
Man... these were ex!
$43 a bottle!
That's even more than a Chanel!
The most I have ever forked out for a nail polish
(except Clarins 230 - but that's different!)
But the SA told me that they only have fewer than 50 bottles brought in.
Seriously?! Why?!
But yeah. Sold.

Then the most awesome swap package arrived on my table.

Check out the size of the parcel!
I used the Paul & Joe polish as a gauge for measurement.
The box was even bigger than the monitor screen of my office computer!

You wanna see what's inside?

First up,
an amazing assortment of stuff.
From the most adorable earrings, to a little purse, to lotions and creams!

P2 treatment and nail art glitters
Goodness! The glitters are too pretty!
I can't wait to use them for some nail art!
Especially that red one!

And yummy chocolates that heh...
are now in my family's and my tummies

But brace yourself for the awesome polishes to come.
I squealed so much in office,
one of my bosses came over to look.
And she was so amazed that people do such stuff as
"swapping" and "sending all these stuff all across land and ocean".
And heh. I think she let me take all these photos
cos she wanted to see for herself the pretties,
before she shoo-ed me off to yet another meeting.

What I think is Catrice I Wear My Sunglasses at Night
(cos I really couldn't read the words off the bottle!)
& Catrice After Eight

Catrice Sir! Yes, Sir! & Catrice Forget-Me-Not!

Essence Make it Golden & Time for Romance

Essence Circus Confetti, Just Can't Get Enough & Waking Up in Vegas.
That's a glitter, a holo and a flakie in there!
*nail polish orgasm*

Manhattan Party Glam Nail Polish in 47T & 66G

p2 Crackling Topcoat in Violet Fusion & Color Play #91

And lastly my first Kiko Polish in #354.
Awww.... Isn't she a beauty?!

Ok. Nail polish heaven right?!
Man. I don't know where I should start swatching!
It's like everything is calling out to me at once!

And that's not the end of the haul for this month!
I'm expecting a hell lot more actually...
Like:

The CC Beyond the Mistletoe set,
The ChG Eye Candy set,
Orly Mineral FX set,
a couple of Essie Luxeffects,
a couple of the Orly Holiday Holiday Soiree,
more Lynnderellas,
the RBL Tudor BIB,
some BB Couture from Overall Beauty.
AND I still have a couple of swaps pending.

Geez. I've been spending haven't I?!

Blast from the Past: OPI Ulta Tiny Tinsels 2009 Berried in Gifts

2011-12-11T06:15:00.000+08:00

When I did my stash re-organisation into the new storage cupboard,
I realised just how many untrieds I have had.
Not surprising since I have been a polish fiend for a while.

Well, it got me thinking that I really need to get down to swatching some of the older polishes,
but I've been pre-occupied with the newer pretties that the polish companies have been churning out.

Hence, I got the inspiration to do a monthly "Blast from the Past" series.
In order to "force" myself to get through the untrieds,
I'm going to include an older collection to swatch every month.
This way,
I can get through the new collections
and not neglect the old ones still sitting in the cupboard.

So to kick off the first of this series,
I thought it would be apt if I did one of the Holiday collections:
the OPI Ulta 2009 Tiny Tinsels mini set.

Today's post will feature Berried in Gifts.

2 coats + 1 coat TC

This one is actually very photogenic.
So much so, I took a lot of pictures.

and when I had it on,
I thought to myself that this one could have easily fitted in with the Burlesque collection as well.

Wine red with sparkly pink/purple shimmer.

To be honest,
I was not expecting to be wow-ed by this one initially.
It looked really boring in the mini bottle.

I was kinda thinking that it would just be another boring wine red that OPI loves to churn out.

Unfortunately, it does not sit well with my Orly Bonder basecoat.
(Reminder to self: Need to post review of Bonder)

Chipped the next day
and I'm pretty sure it's Bonder's fault.

Last 2 are the indoor shots.

Jeans War: Chanel Coco Blue vs Nubar Faded Jeans

2011-12-10T05:33:00.000+08:00

Next up in the Jeans War series:
Chanel Coco Blue vs Nubar Faded Jeans

Hmmm....
I need to find a better way to get these bottle comparison shots.
Mine suck.

Pinky + Middle fingers = Chanel Coco Blue
Ring + Index fingers = Nubar Faded Jeans

Both are 3 coats each + 1 coat TC

Again, no visible difference in colour tones.

But this time round,
I found that I preferred the formula of the Chanel one as compared to the Nubar.

Despite the friendlier brush,
I found that the Nubar tended to streak,
and I had a harder time trying to get smooth, even coats.

In fact, Coco Blue went on a hell lot smoother.
On some nails,
I could even have gotten away with 2 coats.
Faded Jeans however, really needed the 3rd coat to even things out.
I actually even contemplated doing a 4th coat for my index finger.

All right then.
So far, its 1-1
Let's see how the last one swings.

Zoya Dove

2011-12-09T05:28:00.000+08:00

Having a bad headache.
So no editing of pictures.
Instead here's one about an earlier mani

Zoya Dove

2 coats + 1 coat TC

Last one's an indoor pic

Jeans War: Chanel Blue Boy vs Nubar Boyfriend Jeans

2011-12-08T05:38:00.000+08:00

Here's the promised comparisons:

Chanel Blue Boy vs

Nubar Boyfriend Jeans

Pinky + Middle fingers = Chanel Blue Boy
Ring + Index fingers = Nubar Boyfriend Jeans

3 coats each + 1 coat TC

Actually both polishes can be opaque in 2 coats.
However, because of the BC I'm using,
there were some drag spots.
Hence the 3rd coat to even things out.

To be honest,
if I wasn't painting my own nails,
I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference in tones between the 2 polishes.

Formula wise,
that's a different story.

The Nubar went on a hell lot easier and smoother.
Plus I prefer the Nubar brush.

Sigh.
I regret getting the Chanels now.

Top 20 Pick: Lippmann Across the Universe

2011-12-07T05:58:00.000+08:00

As promised,
here's Lippmann Across the Universe

1 coat AtU over 2 coats Essie Bobbing for Baubles + 1 coat TC

I don't think I need to say much about this one

This mani drew a lot of compliments.

Even the SA at the MAC counter noticed this and complimented it,
and I spent some time sharing with her about Lippmann polishes
(and how it's not available in Singapore)

My 2011 Top 20

2011-12-06T07:11:00.001+08:00

Here's my Top 20 as promised.
In alphabetical order:

1) Chanel Peridot

2) China Glaze CG in the City

3) China Glaze It's Alive

4) China Glaze Trendsetter

5) Clarins 230
I think I need to re-swatch this one.

6) Elianto Racing Green

7) Essie Starry Starry Night

8) Flormar U31

9) GOSH Holographic

10) Holika Holika #18 Star Khaki

11) Kleancolor Chunky Black Holo
Pic is Clarins 230 over Kleancolor Chunky Holo Black over Flormar U31

12)Lippmann Across the Universe
Since I haven't posted this one up yet,
I'll do a proper single post for this one in a few days.

13) Lynnderella Connect the Dots
Pic is Lynnderella CtD over Zoya Yummy

14) Lynnderella Gotta Love Brains
Same thing, I'll do a proper post for this one later.

15) Lynnderella Mercurial
Pic is Lynnderella Mercurial over Zoya Kelly

16) Make Up Store Linnea
Pic is MUS Linnea over OPI Black Onyx

17) OPI My Private Jet
Pic is OPI MPJ over OPI Black Onyx

18) OPI Red My Fortune Cookie
This one's my lucky charm!
How can I not include it in the Top 20!

19) pa Q21
Pic is pa Q21 over pa A32

20) SpaRitual Sacred Ground

MUA NB Top 20 is Out!

2011-12-05T05:30:00.002+08:00

So here are the results for 2011

MUA NB Top 20:

1) Lynnderella Connect the Dots - 22 votes

2) TIE: Lippmann Across the Universe and China Glaze Ruby Pumps - 17 votes

3) TIE: Nfu Oh #51 - Nfu Oh and OPI Absolutely Alice - 16 votes

4) Orly Fowl Play - 15 votes

5) TIE: Butter London All Hail Mc(The)Queen, OPI DS Extravagance, Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure - 14 votes

6) TIE: China Glaze For Audrey, OPI I Lily Love You, China Glaze It’s Alive, L'Oreal Owl's Night, Nubar Reclaim, OPI Ski Teal We Drop - 13 votes

7) TIE: Nubar 2010, Clarins 230, OPI Crown Me Already, OPI Teenage Dream, OPI Warm & Fozzie - 12 votes

However, like last year,
there was another tabulation to take into account the dupes.
So here is the *reformulated* Top 23 list:

1) DUPE: Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure (14 votes) + Nubar 2010 (12 votes) + GOSH Rainbow (1 vote) = 29 votes

2) Lynnderella Connect the Dots = 22 votes

3) DUPE: Zoya Charla (8 votes) + OPI Catch Me in Your Net (3 votes) + Orly Halley’s Comet (10 votes) = 21 votes

4) DUPE: OPI Merry Midnight (4 votes) + Orly Fowl Play (15 votes) = 19 votes

5) DUPE: Lippmann Happy Birthday (5 votes) + Milani Gems (2 votes) + OPI Rainbow Connection (10 votes) + Ulta Pinyata Yada Yada (1 vote) = 18 votes

6) TIE: Lippmann Across the Universe, China Glaze Ruby Pumps = 17 votes

7) TIE: Nfu Oh 51, OPI Absolutely Alice = 16 votes

8) TIE: Butter London All Hail Mc(The)Queen, OPI DS Extravagance (14 votes)

9) DUPE & TIE: Lippmann Bad Romance (2 votes) + Revlon Facets of Fuchsia (11 votes), China Glaze For Audrey, OPI I Lily Love You, China Glaze It’s Alive, L'Oreal Owl's Night, Nubar Reclaim, OPI Ski Teal We Drop = 13 votes

10) TIE: Clarins 230, OPI Crown Me Already, OPI Teenage Dream, OPI Warm & Fozzie = 12 votes

Top Brands:

1) OPI - 454 votes

2) China Glaze - 329 votes

3) Essie - 179 votes
(but as the organisers so pointed out,
not one of her polishes made it into the Top 20!)

4) Orly - 147 votes

5) Zoya - 127 votes

6) Sally Hansen - 73 votes

7) Revlon - 68 votes
(*sigh* can't more of these Revlons make it to Sg?)

8) Deborah Lippmann - 51 votes

9) Lynnderella - 45 votes

Number 1 polishes for popular brands that didn’t have a polish make it into Top 20:

1) Chanel Peridot - 9 votes

2) Essie Lapis of Luxury & Smooth Sailing - 8 votes each

3) Wet n Wild Black Creme - 7 votes

4) Sephora by OPI 212 - 6 votes

5) Sinful Nail Junkie - 5 votes

6) Color Club Fashion Addict, Puccilicious & Revvvolution - 3 votes each

7) Rescue Beauty Lounge 360, Catherine H, No More War & Scrangie - 3 votes each

Total number of votes = 2271 (Last year = 3,269)

Total number of voters = 122 (Last year = 175)

Total number of brands = 115 (Last year = 122)

So. I have a few matches with the "official" Top 20 list.
I'll post them later,
but I'm really interested to find out what you guys think of the results?
And how many of the "official" Top 20 polishes are in your list too?

Disney Villians Nail Polish #53

2011-12-04T06:17:00.000+08:00

Priscilla had wanted to know if this one's good =)

Rip off from MAC and Disney,
it's even labelled Disney Villians Nail Polish.
This one is #53.

Side view to show the polish.

And here is the mani.

3 coats + 1 coat TC

And would you believe it if I told you this was taken on Day 4?

It seriously wears well.
I even helped my mum out with some heavy chores at home on Day 3.
And the mani still held.

And I love the purple!
There's some depth to the colour,
such that it has that lit from within look.
Seriously pretty.

The reason I had this mani on for so long,
was because it's been raining everyday for the past few days.
So I have no chance to get decent shots at all.

But I didn't mind having such a pretty colour.
Plus it gave me a chance to test how well the polish can wear.

Well. It's a rip off.
But at SGD$2.90,
it sure is value for money!

If you're interested,
head to your nearest Watsons,
and check out their clearance bins.

The Versatile Blogger Award

2011-12-02T07:42:00.001+08:00

I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by Amanda of the blog Amandalandish
Thank you Amanda for the amazing compliment!
*blushes*

So I'm supposed to list 7 things about myself,
and then pass the award on to 15 other bloggers.

Here goes:

1) I have a constant battle with my weight.
My friends no longer bother when I say I need to watch what I eat.
They'll still pass along their french fries.

2) Apart from being a coffee and Coke addict,
I also love a good pot of Earl Grey.
There was once I went back to office from Starbucks
with a cup of Mocha and a cup of Earl Grey latte
because I couldn't decide which craving to satisfy.

3) I love glitter so much,
I'm actually bought a pair of Pleaser 6-inch dance heels that's glitter filled.

Doesn't this look awesome?
And yup.
I pole dance in those heels =)

4) I'm currently considering whether I should take up driving.
I fear that I will be reckless on the roads.

5) I adopted a hamster about 3 weeks ago and named it Baileys.
It was attacked by 4 other hamsters and is now crippled in a leg.
The pet shop gave it to me free since no one else would take care of it otherwise.

This is Baileys =)

He's now recovering from a lung infection.
My heart also stopped when I first saw him wheezing and shaking.
He was also barely eating.
But he's now much better and hopefully well on the road to recovery

Baileys says hi!

6) I used to have 3 hamsters before Baileys.
They were called Whiskey, Vodka and Gin.
Heh. I'll probably name the next one Scotch.

7) I also adopted a fish and my colleagues named it Leslie.
It was also attacked by other fishes in an aquarium,
and lost its tail and fins.
Leslie wasn't able to recover from its injuries
and passed away since.

This is the only picture I have of Leslie.

My colleagues have since named me the foster mother of all pets disabled.
And they absolutely adore Baileys.

As for part 2,
here are the blogs that I would love to nominate:

1) Let Them Have Polish
2) The Nailasaurus
3) The TraceFace Philes
4) Box of Polish
5) Vintage Musings of a Modern Pinup
6) Emerald Sparkled
7) Bottles and Bottles of Polish
8) Nailside
9) Dizzy Nails
10) Fashion Polish
11) My Simple Little Pleasures
12) Copy That, Copy Cat
13) Polish Art Addiction
14) Lucy's Stash
15) Another Bottle of Polish

All right,
That's it for today!

China Glaze Let it Snow: Poinsettia

2011-12-01T05:29:00.000+08:00

Skipping the glitters for the time being
so as to let those nails "heal"

The first of the x'mas/winter polishes to be featured,
China Glaze Let it Snow collection (Major Love!):
Poinsettia

2 coats + 1 coat TC

No complaints at all about this one.

Looks squishy like a jelly,
but opaque like a creme polish.
Whichever this finish is called,
it's awesome gorgeous.

I wish they made more of such finishes in all the colours.

Love the bright festive red as well.
This is what I personally call kick-ass red.

Love this one.

Last one is taken in the cab.

Review of the Month: SpaRitual Handprint Hydrating Hand Salve & Serum

2011-11-30T05:56:00.001+08:00

Since I returned to my pole dancing,
my hands have been suffering quite a bit from the use of grip powder.
I started having dry, peeling skin and calluses.

Since I really enjoy dancing,
the only option then was for me to find a good hand cream that would help with moisturizing and repair.
Hence the start of my testing of hand creams.

And since I'm on the search for my hand cream holy grail,
I figured I might as well share my findings and reviews with you guys.

Kick-starting this series then,
is the sample tubes of SpaRitual Handprint Hydrating Hand Salve and Hand Serum.

Posed them next to my OPI mini bottle of Designer... de Better to show you the size of the samples I was given.
Kinda small;
it was about 0.25 oz or 7.4 ml.
But it gave me about 3 weeks of regular use.
Ain't too bad.

Let's start with the Hydrating Hand Salve:

SpaRitual Handprint Hydrating Hand Salve is made with 76% certified organic ingredients including,
Shea Butter, Aloe Ferox, Marula Oil, Griffonia Seed Extract, and Honeybush.
It is also formulated with SpaRitual’s HydroShield Technology,
which is supposed to to deliver moisture,
promote skin regeneration,
and provide a breathable shield of protection to dry, active hands.

Sounds good?
Unfortunately, I don't think the Hand Salve is for me.

The salve had a smooth creamy texture which applied and was absorbed easily.
There was also a citrus scent to the salve.
I couldn't quite place the scent,
but it's actually quite pleasant.
And this is for someone who is sensitive and easily irritated by scents.
Yeah. Sad.
Scents can actually trigger a major headache in me,
so I'm really careful about those.

What I didn't like was the feeling that there was a layer of residue.
Ok, I get that it's probably the breathable shield of protection that was touted by the brand,
but it makes me feel like my hands aren't clean.
I think I washed my hands a little more rigourously thereafter,
which kinda defeats the purpose.

Also, I don't think I see any major difference the salve had to offer.
At least I didn't see and/or feel any significant improvement to my hands after I finished the sample tube.

On the other hand,
I might actually consider getting the hand serum.

SpaRitual Hydrating Hand Serum is made with 72% certified organic ingredients:
- Swiss apple stem cells slows chronological aging, preserving the youthful look and vitality of the skin.
- Organic pumpkin seed extract builds collagen and promotes elasticity.
- Organic ginger root extract softens and smoothes skin’s texture.
- Organic licorice root extract helps treat discoloration.

The serum was a lot runnier in texture,
and much more easily absorbed into the skin as compared the the hand salve.
I started using the serum about a week after I started with the hand salve
so as to see if there was any difference to adding a hand serum into the routine.
It sure did!

About a week after I started using the hand serum,
I noticed that my hands did seem to look "whiter and cleaner"
(if this makes sense to you readers).
I guess this is the idea of slowing aging and restoring youthfulness.

I stopped using again just to make sure that it was really the effect of the hand serum.
Yep. Again, it took about a week to see slight differences.

If there are any smells that soothe me,
it is the scent of lavendar, tea leaves and ginger.
I remember at the bloggers' event that I was invited to,
the hand serum smelt quite strongly of ginger.

Perhaps my bottle was too small,
or perhaps the scent of the hand salve over-powered the ginger scent of the hand serum.
However, I couldn't get much of the ginger scent with my sampler bottle.
Which was a disappointment to me.
I tried to smell directly from the sampler tube.
Nahdah as well.

But what is really daunting me to get a full-sized bottle of the hand serum?
The price of it.
Let's just say,
for the time being,
I'm still going to see if there is a cheaper alternative.

Anyone has any recs for hand creams?

China Glaze Metro: Skyscraper

2011-11-29T06:15:00.000+08:00

Another quick post.
Really tired.
Besides for this polish,
the pictures can do the talking.

The last one I have from China Glaze Metro Collection:
Skyscraper

3 coats + 1 coat TC

Not particularly unique,
unlike the other glitter in this collex (CG in the City).

But pretty and sparkly none the less.

Very photogenic too as you can see.

Ok.
That's all for today.

China Glaze Metro: CG in the City

2011-11-28T06:11:00.000+08:00

The last collection to be swatched for November:
China Glaze Metro.
This one here is CG in the City

4 coats + 1 coat TC

This is another one that's going into my Top 20.

Glitter duochrome!
Depending on the light and angles,
this alternates between lookly purple, brown or silver.

And seriously sparkly as well!

2 of my favourite finishes rolled into one.
What more could I ask for.

And this is saying it even as I'm feeling a little glittered out.
Even though the foil method makes it easier,
I'm really dreading glitter removal these days.

And its actually taking a toll on my nails.
The nail bed is actually peeling at random spots!
Not good.

Nevertheless, I can't help but enjoy this mani while it lasted.

A unique one.
I don't think there's another dupe for this out there.
Yet.

Last 2 are indoor pictures.

OPI Muppets: Excuse Moi!

2011-11-27T06:41:00.000+08:00

The only glitter in the Muppets collection that I was interested in:
Excuse Moi!

Mine's from the mini set
(in case you didn't already know)

2 coats + 2 coats TC

Another glitter that was TC-hungry.
Even after 2 coats,
it was still feeling gritty and bumpy.

Otherwise, this one is an awesome polish that is befitting of Ms Piggy.
I can just envision the diva strutting down the street in this.

Candy pink base, with silver and pink micro glitter.
Then there's this whole party of bigger multi-coloured glitters.

But it chipped on me in the second day.
Which is absolutely rare for me coming from OPI.

Otherwise, definitely one of the stars in this collection.

November Purge is here!

2011-11-26T10:00:00.003+08:00

Purge time again! =)

Locals and internationals all welcome.
Any transaction will be done via paypal or POSB bank transfer.
All prices are in USD!

Internationals, I will only send via registered post.
Will send shipping quote after confirmation of order.

Please place your order in the comment section by stating which ones you would be interested in.
Please remember to leave your email so that I am able to get in touch with you.

Open to swap offers as well.
Needs cash and needs to down size the stash as well,
so it doesn't have to be a 1-for-1 swap!

And current polishes I'm interested in are:

1) SpaRitual Earth Matters
(I'm even willing to pay for this one if you're willing to let go!)
2) Butter London Wallis
3) Wet and Wild Ice Baby Collection - It's all in the Cut, Believe Me It's Real, Diamond in the Rough, Cost is No Issue, Back Alley Deals
4) Orly Androgynie
5) Zoya Gaia
6) Essie Size Matters
7) OPI No Bees Please

Polishes available this round are:

Orly Satin Society - $2
Rubi Shoes in Sky - $1
Etude House #43 - $4

BYS Kung Fu Blue - $4
Misa Pour Me Something Tall and Strong - $2 *sold*
P2 Crackling Topcoat in Black Explosion - $2

OPI Rally Pretty Pink - $5 *sold*
The Face Shop GD112 - $1 *sold*
Nubar Cherry Cordial - $7 *sold*

Color Club Who are You Wearing? - $2
Misa Hot Butterscotch - $2 *swapping*
Essie Monkey Business - $4

Milani Key Lime Shine - $2
MAC Immortal Gold (SIB) - $15 *swapped*
Sally Hansen Royal Romance - $2

Ok. That's it for this round folks.
I thought I would have more.
Guess I was wrong.

China Glaze Metro: Midtown Magic

2011-11-25T05:46:00.000+08:00

First off, I have to again apologise for the pictures.
This time, I'm not blaming the weather and sunshine (or lack thereof),
but its my boss.

Serious. She was standing there watching me take these photos.
And I was totally unnerved by it all.
Not that my boss is against it or that I was doing it during company time.
(I usually take pictures during lunch break by the way)

In fact, she's been pretty cool about my hobbies.
Where else would you have bosses who ask about your hobbies,
doesn't blink an eye to wearing weird nail colours,
allow you to have s secret stash in the office,
and encourages you have a great time with it.

But erm... having your big boss watch on
and then offer to help take all ten nails?!
er.... yeah. Unnerved.
And I snapped all the pictures in a hurry as such.

Ok, the next one in the China Glaze Metro collection:
Midtown Magic

Ok, I admit.
I'm this close to being glittered out.
And I'm kinda tired of blues and purples for the moment.
Hence I haven't done the 2 glitters (CG in the City and Skyscraper) yet.

2 coats + 1 coat TC

I don't usually go for browns,
but this is definitely one brown polish that I can't see myself going back to.

Gold and red micro glitter suspended in a dark brown base.
And its sparkly in the sun too.

And as with most of my China Glaze,
no issues with application.

I'll wear this again for sure.
And erm.... re-take the pictures.
When boss isn't around to offer her help.

MAC Posh Paradise: Rain of Flowers

2011-11-24T05:56:00.000+08:00

This one's actually a re-promote:
MAC Rain of Flowers.
First made its appearance in the MAC Jin Soon 2010 collection.

I apologise for the poor photos this round.
Took it on a overcast day,
when it finally stopped raining and the sun peeked shyly through.
Ended up with a lot of shadows as well.
Kinda think my bottle shot makes it look more like it should be Ming Blue or Biker Blue

3 coats + 1 coat TC

Needed the third coat because this bottle applied a little patchy.
Kinda makes me wonder if I got a dud bottle

Plus I don't know if it is because I had been wearing blues and purples and other dark colours,
plus the fact that I had this mani on for quite a few days
waiting for the rain to pass and the sun to shine,

but I found that I wasn't wow-ed by this one at all.
And I was expecting to be wow-ed,
since this was one polish that got quite a bit of love in the Nail Polish community

Seriously, I was actually disappointed.
And I couldn't wait to take it off,
especially since I had it on for quite a while.

Oh well.
Maybe I'll let it hang around for a little while first
before re-swatching and deciding if I should still keep this.

Lynnderella Mercurial

2011-11-23T06:13:00.000+08:00

Another one of the coveted Lynnderellas:
Mercurial

2 coats TC over 1 coat Mercurial over earlier Zoya Kelly mani

I have to say, these Lynnderellas eat TC.
They are like super hungry for them!

Harder than the usual glitters that I have to remove as well.
I have had to do the foil method twice every time I remove a Lynnderella mani.

Worth it though.
None of my usual glitters can match these Lynnderellas in beauty.

And now,
I find myself lemming Snow Angel
as well as some from her latest Funny Money collection.

Looks like when Llarowe stocks up on those Lynnderellas in Dec,
I'll be getting myself a x'mas pressie =P

Last one is the taken-in-cab shot.

SpaRitual In Pink Collection: Knowledge

2011-11-22T05:34:00.000+08:00

I realised that I completely forgot to post this one up!
Way overdue!
Sorry!

The last one in the SpaRitual In Pink collection:
Knowledge

2 coats + 1 coat TC

Pink + Gold + Holographic glitters.
Base seems to be slightly tinted pink as well.
Well, at least it made my nails look pinker than it should.

Similar to Clarity,
this one is meant more for layering.

Last 2 are indoor pictures

Zoya Kelly

2011-11-21T06:13:00.000+08:00

Zoya Kelly

2 coats + 1 coat TC

Lovely application.

Lovely blue based grey.

Although it does remind me of Tony Moly PT08
I'll have to compare the 2 one day.

Otherwise I have no complaints about Zoya Kelly.

Last 3 pictures are indoor shots.