Two of my favorite polish companies start with O's

Unfortunately, one of those companies is a great big bully! So I just might not be purchasing as many of theirs as the other company's.

Orly just doesn't get enough love out there. Most of their polishes have applied and worn fabulously! Major exception that comes to mind is Polo Princess. I'll likely be sending that one to Zoya for the awesome exchange this month and the next.

Plum Noir is one of my favorite Orlys. Its vampy, its purple, its oh so shiny! These photos are under an Ott lamp. It is slightly more reddish and a bit darker than here.



Recently, I got one of my lemmings fulfilled. I am a sucker for blue flash, especially with pinks. OPI La-Paz-atively Hot is very hot! Its bright, but not neon. I love it!

So, as you might know, Trans Design is being sued by OPI for copyright infringement. TD is liquidating their OPI stock, so I felt I needed a few things, some of which I'd probably not find anywhere else again.

New York Summer Amaranth Green is back in stock, so I grabbed 2. Then the OPIs are:

Have You Seen My Limo?, What's With the Cattitude?, Fiercely Fiona, Ogre-the-Top Blue, Funky Donkey, Miami Beet, Florentine Fuchsia, That's Berry Darling, Red My Fortune Cookie, In My Back Pocket, A Grape Fit, I Pink I Love You, Isn't It Romantic?, Otherwise Engaged, Bare It In Trafalgar Square, At First Sight, Time-less is More

Random NOTDs

I've been away for a bit. My dad is really ill right now. He has Guillain Barre and has been in the ICU since April 3rd. It looks like he is on the slow road back to health, but it will take months of rehab to just be able to walk. Right now were just looking forward to the day he can breath on his own, talk, and feed himself. He keeps asking when he can go home, eat real food, and drink a beer. Its the saddest thing ever to see him like this. He's never been helpless in my lifetime.

Here we goes with NOTDs!

I wanted a red like a sports car. I used to have a '96 Honda Prelude and it was this color. This is a jelly. Its so shiny, it looks like glass. 3 coats here.

I have had OPI Mad as a Hatter for some time now, yet had never worn it until this mani. I like glitter, but I try not to wear it too often, because removal of it isn't kind to your nails. Now that my peeling nails seem to have lessened, I might start indulging in glitter more. The accent nail is one coat of MAAH over the Misa WOAS. Please forgive my tip wear.. I had been wearing this a day or 2 before the picture.

You know, I love Misa. I wish they put out more collections regularly. They just apply so nicely. I am waiting on a big Misa haul right now. I didn't order any new collections, just things I've been lemming for a while now.

This is my first Claire's mani. This polish has a strange consistency... sort of plasticky. It dried matte and looked like vinyl before I applied Seche Vitae. After the SV, it looks amazing! Its really quite green in real life... looks nothing like blue to me. I think the name doesn't really fit.

This is holo goodness! I had been out of the world of polish for a couple decades until last summer I saw a picture of OMG. I thought the name was quite appropriate! I had never seen holo's before and had no idea nail polish could do this! I decided to start collecting immediately! Now I probably have close to 500 polishes.

You know, I'm not even sure I ever wore a full mani of OMG before this mani. I pulled it out a couple weeks ago and it was like "OMG!" all over again.

Sunshine and happiness

Supposedly, we only average around 60 sunny days here. It feels like less to me. What better polish for a sunny day, than a holo glitter?

Ulta has their Salon Formula on sale now for $2 each, so I grabbed a few bottles. This one caught my eye, because I'm a sucker for anything with holographic glitter. Its called Bombshell. This is 3 coats. Its a jelly, too! It applied really well, however, it needs a couple layers of thick topcoat to smooth it out. I applied 2, but was impatient and didn't let the first set up enough, so its a little bumpy.

Lazy Sunday

I have exactly 3 RBLs (Rescue Beauty Lounge). I would love to have more, but it's a bit cost prohibitive. Their sophisticated creams really appeal to me. I feel most comfortable wearing an edgy cream at work. Neons or obscenely blingy glitters make me feel a little awkward in a professional environment.

This is Plie. Applied wonderfully and was opaque in 2 coats.

Then, since none of us can go shopping as often as we'd like, I thought I'd show you the results of a recent shopping trip that involved Sephora and Ulta.

I am absolutely thrilled with the Urban Decay Polish Primer Potion & the Blinc Mascara! Thanks Jessika.

The glitters are Nabi brand. I found them at a clothing & accessory store. I forgot the name. They have a really strong smell. I haven't tried those, yet.

The skinny Ulta bottles were from the newest collection. My shopping buddy asked a SA when they'd have them. Not too surprisingly, they already had them.. in a DRAWER! I swear every time I go to this Ulta the employees look like their on a pleasure cruise. All their nail polish could be gone on the sales floor and it would never occur to anyone to go look in the back for replenishment stock. I suspect that is why they had 2 complete sets of the CHI collection that was out around November, but no display anymore.

Vaguely related to nails

I have Twilightitis... its acute and pretty serious. I know I avoided the initial pandemic. My Resistance had been faltering, though. It took me almost 10 years to watch Titanic, for crying out loud! I always have to go against the grain. I had teased my friends, relentlessly, who were affected by the out break and was scratching my head in confusion over some stupid teenage book. I Chided 30-something year old friends wearing Edward T-shirts, "What are you? 12?" Scoffed at co-workers in their 40s wearing Team Edward T-shirts and babbling about reading the books 17 times.

I thought the books were just sort of silly.. so I avoided them. How many times could I read about Edward's beauty? I didn't even go to see the movies or rent Twilight. Until a few weeks ago...

I decided I had to find out what was so absorbing about these books. So I listened to Twilight Book 1. It took about 2 days. Not as bad as I thought, but not all that. I had plenty of questions. Such as, if you were a hundred year old vampire, why would you waste your time going to high school over and over and over? Why not start your own business or go to college? How is Edward supposed to get Bella pregnant? If he has no heart beat, no blood, exactly how will he even get an erection? "Its just a book, your being too intellectual. Just enjoy it!" my coworker told me.

So, that weekend, I rented the movie.... OK now I get it! The books are alright. I think if I hadn't read the book I'd have found the movie too hurried and not really known what was going on. But O Ma Gawd! Whoever cast Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen was a genius! I actually find Robert Pattinson just alright, but as Edward Cullen... I'm obsessed.

Its a little like in the Lord of the Ring movies.. I couldn't careless about Orlando Bloom, but as Legolas.. OK! Now were talking! I don't even really care for guys with long hair, but elves with long hair, well.. that's different.

Oh alright, so what's this have to do with nail polish? Umm not too much.. I did go to Ulta the other day and found a pewter colored Ulta Professional Polish, called Twilight, so of course, I had to have it!

So since this is my blog and its all about me.. me and nail polish, but mostly me.. remember I am narcissistic, after all. I'm going to put some yummy pictures of Edward Cullen up... mostly, because I like looking at them and well.. it seems my husband is opposed to having to look at him on the wall paper of my lap top in the living room. *shrug* I know, how can he not appreciate Edward's dreamy beauty? Weird, I know. So if you've read this far and you don't like Edward, you're on Team Jacob, whatever.. I think there's been ample time for you to look away. You were warned.







Edward? Be my lab partner, please?

Something Special

A major lemming of mine has been Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday. I adore large hex glitter and rainbow glitter. This is both in one. A wonderful nail board friend at MUA (Makeup Alley) was generous enough to allow me to borrow it for a little while. I think I may have to break down and buy this. I have tried making my own, but finding glitter that does not loose its color in nail polish and turn the clear polish into a muddy mess has proven to be more difficult than I imagined. I even ordered some on eBay specifically for nail art. It too lost its color and turned the polish to a disgusting mud color.

This is Diamond Cosmetics Chainmail Charm with Lippmann Happy Birthday on top. There's no sun currently in this part of the world, so no holo goodness can be seen *sigh* It does provide a lovely charcoal grey background, however.

Orly Green Apple

Orly always seems to not get as much love as it deserves. The colors are not as exciting as some polish lines, yet, they are more colorful than Essie, for instance. I find Orly wears on me the best, though with all nail products, your milage may vary.

This particular shade is not from the spring collection, though it fits right in with the Sweet Collection for spring 2010.

I give you Orly Green Apple

Happy Mardi Gras!

I have never really celebrated Mardi Gras, but I love green and purple! Today's NOTD in honor of Mardi Gras is China Glaze Emerald Sparkle + CND Effects Amethyst Sparkle and a little Konad flair on the ring finger. I forget which plate.

I love these CND Effects. It adds that extra purple sparkle to the China Glaze Emerald Green Sparkle.

KOTD Getting Better!

Please excuse my dry, flaky skin. This is Color Club Yachty Yadda and Konad plate M74.

Strangely, the right hand turned out better than the left:

Left hand:

I ordered some new plates and special polishes. I am very excited! They should arrive next week, from http://www.wowsocool.com/

Sinful Let's Talk & A New Furbaby

My camera hates this purple! It refuses to render it, as it is. I have tried multiple settings and cannot captures its true loveliness. Its so vibrant, shiny, and it is VIOLET! Not blue. Sunlight would perhaps be a good place to start, however, I am nocturnal. It is far more rich, deep, and shiny.

This photo shows the finish and depth, but look much too blue.
My sister, generously, gave us a puppy! He is almost 3 months old and oh so sweet! Her Havanese male and female had a litter of 5, right before Thanksgiving.
This is the Band of Merry Outlaws together, Gypsy & Bandit. Golden Retriever & Havanese, respectively. They've known one another since Bandit's first day, so there has not been much need for adjusting to each other.

Valentine's Konad

This is my pathetic attempt at Konading. I'm getting better, but I still need practice. Apparently, I was pressing too hard with my stamper before. I wasn't picking up any images that way. A lighter touch has definitely improved my results.

China Glaze Up & Away Skittles

Wow! I am so glad I ordered these. I especially like the brights. I already have Nubar's pastel collection and could have probably just gotten away with only ordering the Re-Fresh Mint.

I couldn't decide on one color of the 10 I got, so I tried them all. Which one should I do a full mani of now?

Lemon Fizz, Re-Fresh Mint, Light As Air, Something Sweet, Sugar High. Looks like a bowl of Jordan Almonds.

Grape Pop, Heli-Yum, Happy Go Lucky, Four Leaf Clover (is greener than pictured), Flying High (is slightly more teal, than blue). Oh! Not neon, but definitely bright and cheerful. So very shiny, no matte upon drying like a true neon.

I love this collection! China Glaze has really perfected their formula for this collection. It is so shiny, so opaque, applies very well. These are all 2 coats. 3 coats would probably be too much You could almost get away with one coat on the brights, besides the yellow.

I skipped the melon & peach colors, assuming they would not compliment me. I almost skipped the yellows, but these actually look good on me.

So which color should I choose?

Nfu Oh Flakies

Nfu Oh Flakies are some of the most fun and versatile polishes out there. You can layer them or wear them alone. Every time I wear a flakie, especially Nfu Oh, I get all sorts of ohs and ahs over them. Not your common place polish. I'm not sure I've ever seen another person wearing a flakie in real like, aside from OPI Merry Midnight.

Nfu Oh is made in Korea. Its creator is Enfu Oh, who is passionate about nail art. You can visit her website here

Here are the polishes I bought from Fabulous Street, the only US retailer of Nfu Oh I know. I have heard you may be able to purchase them at small brick & mortar shops in ethnic neighborhoods, too.

These are flakies from the Victorian Series. The bottles are adorable and certainly Victorian.


Look at their corsets on the back!


The polishes, unfortunately, do not have any "names", just numbers. That makes it tough, for sometimes you're not sure exactly what your ordering, unless you can find some nice swatches. Which I plan to offer to you for the 5 polishes I have.


When I received my order I painted a layer of Wet n Wild Black Cream on a nail wheel so I could figure out which polishes had which effect, since with the clears, you cannot tell which is which.


I really like the clears, because I can use them over any polish and create a unique effects without losing the base color, unlike some other flakies I have used. Plus, the flakies are abundant and nice and big.

Observe! A favorite combo of mine, OPI Sapphire In the Snow + Nfu Oh 39.