China Glaze Collection & Bermuda Breakaway

Oh China Glaze, I love you. 

Someone wanted to see all the ChG polishes I have so here they are in the shape of a heart. Cute right? I have 54 of them currently and it definitely won't stop there. I am already eyeing the holiday collection. 

I have issues. 

But don't blame me! ChG makes great collections in so many fun colors. Any serious collector or nail polish fan needs them in their collection. 

Anyway, here is Bermuda Breakaway that I just recently hauled. 

Such a deep, beautiful blue!

These pictures show the blue to be brighter but in person its darker. More like a dark navy blue. 

I've never been into blue much until recently. I think it was that blue holo polish from Milani that suddenly got me into blue. Weird. 

And I wanted to get someones opinion... Does it drive anyone else crazy when people call creme colors (no sparkle, glitter or shimmer) mattes?   Matte means there is no shiney effect. This confusion drives me nuts. Probably because I LOVE creme finishes but I'm not wild about the majority of matte polishes. So for me, this distinction is important. 

Does anyone else notice this?

Well, I'll end that mini rant. :P 

A Epic Return! Okay not really (Some new pics!)

Hey guys! 

I know this post has been a loooong time comin but its been hectic. Now that I am on summer break, I will be able to put up posts again but I can't promise what will happen come fall. It seems that winter term was nuts! But spring term was 10X worse... And my fall schedule is near suicide! But.. It will all work out. :) 

Anyways, as a way to say sorry here are a few pics... 

China Glaze in Rich & Famous 

A bright (but not quite neon) pink polish! Not a big fan of pink or uber bright/neon colors but this has something special to it that I can't articulate. Even on my pale skin, I like it on me! Very unusual. This was a polish that was a part of my first China Glaze polish haul from the Sally's beauty sale last spring. Oh, how time flies!

I will say that the application of this at first seemed watery but with semi-careful application, it came out damn near perfect! This polish could probably contend to be one of my best pinks. But I most certainly can't ever just pick ONE favorite... :)

China Glaze in Rich & Famous with a LA Girls (under the Forever 21 label) glitter polish

I like the glitter polish but on one nail got a lot more glitter than the other... I tried evening them out and it didn't work so well. A bit annoying, I will admit. But very pretty. If I had more patience (and if i wasn't planning on taking it off in 5 minutes) I would have added an extra layer or two of glitter. Oh well

American Apparel in Peacok

A gorgeous dark teal that I am madly in love with! I asked a guy what color I should put on next and he picked this... A good sport and similar tastes? :)
Anyways! This applies quite well but the brush makes it a little tough to create smooth edges. And because it is so dark and creamy, cleanup is tricky too. But I still love this polish to pieces! I believe this is one coat of polish! Oh, its love! 

That's all that I have today!

I plan to be back with more probably this weekend. 

See ya! 

Current Top 20 Polishes

Hey guys!

This post is gonna be about my current Top 20 polishes at the moment.

I have a good sized collection but there is a lot that I haven't worn/swatched. For that reason, I didn't include those for consideration.

For this reason, my Top 20 will change periodically with new purchases and swatchings.

L to R: SOPI metro chic, Misa high waist hue, OPI merry midnight, OPI sapphire in the snow, NFU-oh 51

L to R: Wet n Wild Crazee in Shield, Essie in Chinchilly, ELF in Blush, ELF in Champagne, ELF in Mod Mauve

L to R: Maybelline in Brown Aluminium, China Glaze in Ruby Pumps, China Glaze in Cords, China Glaze in VII, American Apparel in Dynasty

L to R: Zoya in Jacy, LA Girl in  Addict, La Girl in Indigo (F21 name), LA Girl in Double Platinum, Diamond Cosmetics in Chainmail Charm

I wanted to show you the awesome effect of these two Holos. They are so awesome! Double Platinum is holo glitter and Chainmail Charm is a holo polish.

One word to describe holos? BRILLIANT!

Let's see if my upcoming Transdesign order full of pastels (i hardly have any!), holos, glitter, and new Misa polishes will make the cut for the next Top 20.

Do you have any of these? Would they make your Top 20?

Haul: (Before Christmas) from Walmart and Sallys

Hey guys!

So I will be posting a parade of haul posts for the next few days/week or so. I've been picking up things here and there and plus Christmas! Not to mention that I am getting paid at the end of this week. You know what that means!

So let's get started on some of the polishes I picked up a bit before Christmas at Walmart and a super cool item I picked up to organize my polish table with!

I really wanted to recreate a sparkly/snowy look so I needed a silver micro glitter. I'm just starting to get into glitters so I don't have much of a collection yet. I also some a blue mirco glitter and a soft yellow, so I picked those up as well.

I also picked up Biotin there since I want to improve my nails. I take about 2-3 pills a day when I remember. haha I picked up the Vitamin D at Safeway. Not sure why I added it, I guess I was in a bit of a hurry to get to bed.

L to R: Pure Ice Strapless, Pure Ice Beware, Sally Hansen Extreme Wear in Mellow Yellow

I didn't have a yellow so I figured "Why not?". That reasoning gets me in trouble. But it is my first yellow.

I also picked up Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. The thing is... It really isn't a cream. Its more of a salve consistency. Its hard and you rub your finger over it and you get a little product on your finger tips and rub it over your cuticles. Take a look, its solid.

I've been using this for about a week and a half and so far I think its decent. I wish it were just a little bit softer so I could swipe a bit and apply whereas now I have to swipe apply, swipe, apply, etc.

I also picked up this remover. I've never heard of the brand but they didn't have the Sally Hansen remover that I love. I've been using acetone a lot (and its drying out my nails!) so I am really trying to find that Sally Hansen remover but its always sold out or not sold where I shop. Argh. I don't recommend this remover. Its nothing compared to my HG Sally Hansen. Oh well, worth a shot. Maybe I'll keep this at the BFs just in case. :)

I got the idea to get this turntable from Walmart from Emily Noel on Youtube. I loved the idea so much it was the main reason I wanted to go to Walmart. In her video she used the turntable for makeup supplies. I wanted it to hold my newest polish that I need to swatch and some essentials. The pic above is just after putting it together just to show what it looks like. Now its on my kitchen table turned manicure table (LOL) and I LOVE it. I plan on doing a post about my evolving manicure station and storage. I'm not done with by its a work in progress. :)

Emily picked up the plastic one that was about $5-6 at my Walmart in the kitchen section. But when I got there all the plastic ones looked messed up or opened PLUS I saw this stainless steel one for only a few bucks more ($9 and some change) and it looked more sturdy. So I picked this one over the plastic and I'm very glad I did. The sides don't look overwhelmed at all like plastic can do.

Sallys! So we were hitting up Safeway Christmas Eve for some last minute groceries. Of course, there has to be a Sallys right next door and I really needed another bottle of Seche Vite. But I was sucked in and picked up China Glaze Ruby Pumps and Emerald Sparkle.

L to R: China Glaze Emerald Sparkle, China Glaze Ruby Pumps, and Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (Love this stuff!)

In a post coming up, I used these two new polishes for my Christmas manicure that really lasted on my nails.

Well that's all I have for now. I know I totally slacked off last week with the posts so I am writing up a few more and scheduling them post now so that I don't go on 1-2 week hiatuses when school starts back up... Which is Jan. 4th! Eck!

Anyway, Happy New Years!

Haul: Package from Transdesign!

So i took the plunge about a week ago and ordered a ton of stuff from Transdesign. A lot of polish and a lot of other misc. nail items that will be at the end.
With this order, i tried out some new brands (to me) and items so i can continue my love for polish!


L to R: Misa in Candy Girl, High Waist Hue, Passion 4 Fashion, and Glimmering Mauve

After hearing such great things about Misa, i took the plunge for $3 a bottle, what could go wrong? So glad i did because i am IN LOVE with Misa right now. I thought for sure the new polish i would put on today would be a toss up between Metro Chic, Merry Midnight or Holiday Glow. For some reason, High Waist Hue called to me. Texture is amazing, color is rich and the bottle is so pretty and classy. i love it all around!
I immediately started looking for more Misa polish swatches so that i could see my next picks.

Anyway...


LOVE!
For some reason i wasn't expecting the bottle to be a cube shaped. Neat!


I was eagerly waiting for the New OPI Holiday polishes. Every swatch i saw, my lemming became stronger and stronger until i knew it was time to order some.
I have to admit, i am a cheap shopper. I like brands like Misa, China Glaze, Wet n Wild because the polish is great AND the price is right! So it's hard for me to reason to spend anything more than $4 on a polish. But for these colors, i had to. Plus, e-retailers sell at a great price $5 compared to $9 in stores.


L to R: OPI in Merry Midnight, Sapphire in the Snow, Holiday Glow, and You Don't Know Jacques!
The little flakes in Merry Midnight is to die for!


L to R: China Glaze in Sci-Fi, Innocence, Harmony and VIII.

Harmony has this streak of silver in it that totally stands out. I wonder if it wasn't mixed well of its just from shipping and particles settling. Either way, its frickin cool!


I really love China Glaze polishes. I feel like they rival OPI and quite often they win. In my book at least.



Heard from another blogger about these New York Summer polishes. Transdesign didn't seem to have much of a collection of this brand but i picked up something different.
I really love Poppies. Not even for frankening... Just the color itself is amazing. For less than two dollars you really can't go wrong even if you are not head over heels for them. The glitters will probably be frankened just because they aren't quite unique or WOW enough but we'll see how it all goes i guess.


L to R: New York Summer in.........


I picked up another Essie even though i'm not a big fan. I have this weird thing that i don't want any "lonely" single brand polishes in my collection. So i am trying to make sure to have at least two. Is that silly of what?!
But anyways i picked up Essie in Chinchilly as well as NailTek Foundation III.
They were out of NailTek Foundation II so i just shrugged not knowing if it mattered anyway. But so far, i'm not really impressed.


These are some extra items i ordered that are all nail related.
I'll try to list them left to right.
The big round bottle is cuticle oil from Armour. I couldn't pick which one to order but this one had a cute bottle and i picked it in watermelon scent. How cool!
I also grabbed some fakies so that i could start the process of swatching my whole collection. I don't have enough fakies currently to do that but i am starting with the brands i love and brands i own many polishes from.
The little squirt bottle is cuticle remover. I have some nasty cuticle growth that can't simply be pushed back no matter how hard i try. So i decided to give this a try and it really does work. But when they say wash it off, they mean it! i've heard of people just wiping it away after and there goes their nail! So be careful with it.
The 3 stick looking things in the back are supposed to be tools for dotting and marbling. I tried water marbling yesterday and i couldn't prefect it but i'll keep experimenting.
I also grabbed some nail decals just for fun. I felt they were overpriced for how many were in the package. Eh, oh well.
Also picked up a nail brush for $.30 since you can't have enough nail brushes. But this thing is so cheap. The bristles suck and they are no where near even... Its just a disaster that they even sell something so crappy. But whatever, its 30 cents.
The two long polishes on the bottle were supposed to be kracle polishes. But i didn't realized the black was actually a "black base" so only the white krackles. I was excited so i just slabbed some on real quick and while it does crack... i'll give it that... It cracks and peels off your nail. Its crappy and did nothing like krackle polishes from CoverGirl did years ago. Ah, oh well. I am now temped to write to Cover Girl and beg them to bring back Krackle polishes. I'd buy at least 5 of them.
And on the far right is just two different kinds of empty nail polish bottles. Just from looking at their brushes... yikes. But we'll see. I plan on doing some frankening very soon. :)

So anyway, i am at work finishing up this so i better get going. :)
Gotta love the save button!

Comparison Swatches of Dusty Muaves

So this is going to be a post comparing some of my dusty rose-muave colored polishes. This post may be a bit premature since i am expecting to receive a few more polishes in the mail (a whopping 22 new ones!) but i just wanted to see so i thought i would make a post of it.



L to R: China Glaze in Fifth Avenue ($3-6 Depends on retailer), ELF in Mod Mauve ($1 EyesLipsFace.com), NYX Girls in Flash ($2 Cherry Culture), Pure Ice in Taupe Drawer ($2 WalMart), and Sinful Colors in Vacation Time ($2 Walgreens).




These last two pics really make it confusing which color is which so i will label them again for ya :)

Thumb: China Glaze in Fifth Avenue ($3-6 Depends on retailer)
Much more red/rosey pink based cream color. Only one coat and it is completely opaque. Application is flawless! One of my favorites in my collection and china glaze hit the nail on this one!

Pointer: Pure Ice in Taupe Drawer ($2 WalMart)
This is such a beautiful color but definitely needs more than one coat for even coverage. First thing i thought after applying was that i HAVE to compare it to Metro Chic (once i get it in the mail) because i wonder how the two compare. This is the darkest of all the colors and definitely is more purple/plum toned then the rest and i knew i fell in love. Only problem was the the application wasn't quite smooth, particularly the 2nd coat which can lead it to be less than a beautiful manicure. But i can't say i mind much... Its a great color and the price is right! Definitely grabbing more of this brand.

Middle: NYX Girls in Flash ($2 Cherry Culture)
A little on the sheer side, 2 coats are needed (minimum) but 3 coats really brings out the true color. Application is smooth and you are left with a light pink based dusty color. Lighter than i prefer but it was one of my first "dusty" colors that really got me hooked.

Ring: ELF in Mod Mauve ($1 EyesLipsFace.com)
At one coat, it looks very blotchy and uneven. Application isn't as smooth as i would like but still decent. Give it 2-3 coats and it is a lovely plum/rose mix mauve color. This is definitely a keeper and the price is amazing at only a dollar!

Pinky: Sinful Colors in Vacation Time ($2 Walgreens)
A new addition and my second polish from Sinful that i had to grab when i glaced down at it in line at Walgreens. Application was alright but i'm not sure if it was the brush or the formula that made it slightly annoying to apply. Regardless it is a dusty rose color that is less red than Fifth Avenue but darker than Flash. Very pretty and (in my opinion) work appropriate.



Like i mentioned above, i wonder how Metro Chic will compare to these colors. I can't hardly wait!
If anyone knows any colors similar to these, let me know! I love these 'dusty' colors.

I also thought i would mention real quick that Sephora by OPI currently has a box set of 3 polishes for the price of 2 on their website which includes Metro Chic. I wasn't planning on placing an order today until i was sent a code for free shipping on any orders. Here is the code in case you were interested: Ship4Free and is good until Monday 11/30/09. I also decided to pick up another one called On Stage. These will be my first Sephora by OPI polishes and i am giddy with excitement right now.

Anyway, off to finish my Sunday evening and prep for dead week. Finals are right around the corner... How fun!... (Not!)
Who is ready for Christmas?! I am!

-Antonea
11/29/09

La Girls & China Glaze (+ Quick update, haul and SALE)

Hey guys! I've been meaning to do more nail related things during this thanksgiving holiday but i forgot how the holidays tend to go (laziness and good times) plus i almost forgot i worked today.

Anyways... Here is two recent NOTD's. Currently Garnet is on unless i decide to try marbling for the first time tomorrow. We'll see...


LA Girls in Garnet

This is such a beautiful color









This is an amazing Red. I don't go for reds much but when i do i go for the darker colors. This is definitely a beautiful deep red to die for! Can you believe this is only one coat with no visible nail or streakiness LA Girls has some amazing polishes for such great prices. I've found them at Forever 21 ($2.80) and Cherry Culture (usually $2.80 but $4 if new line like the mattes i recently hauled). LA Girls is definitely a brand that needs more recognition. All the colors i have are loved and admired. (Don't confuse with LA Colors. Not as pleased with their polishes)



China Glaze in Cords

This was my previous manicure. The picture isn't great but it isn't the easiest to photograph as it can look brown/grey or totally metallic (like it looks above) and because its been so cloudy here in Portland. It lasted pretty well for a few days with slight wear (with seche vite as a top coat). I was pretty impressed. Application was smooth and it wasn't streaky at all. I believe this was one coat and it is totally opaque.

Okay onto 2 quicks hauls!



This one is from Walgreens on Friday. I went in because i could not find my bottle of acetone anywhere! And while the non-acetone remover i have (nearly gone) works fine, i just prefer the speed of acetone removers... (And i hate being so low on anything...). But of course i just happened to see the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque on sale as a BOGO. One thing you should know... I LOVE BOGOS! So i paid $3.99 for two! So glad to finally try it (although i don't think its good in winter when my skin is uber dry). And of course i had to pick up a Sinful Colors polish in Vacation Time because the single Sinful Colors polish i had was lonely by itself... Of course it is a dusty muave color that i adore and own too many versions of. And of course acetone remover by studio 35.
All 4 for a total of $10.03 (with WA tax)




Next haul is from two places - Wal-Mart and Sally's Beauty Supply (Love this place except for the rude employees i always run into). From Wal-Mart we bought the Revlon Black hair dye to dye my best friend's peak-a-boo highlights back to normal since she is in ROTC and needs to cover them up more easily ($3). As well as the scissors for hair from Goody ($6) and of course i had to grab two polishes... I grabbed the Sally Hansen Diamond Strength polish in Nude Shimmer ($4) and Pure Ice in Taupe Drawer ($2). With tax it was $16 or so.
From Sally's was the Orly Bonder Base Coat that i have been dying to try so i snatched it when i had the chance (we were waiting for the BF to finish up at Harbor Freight Tools) for $6 with my Sally's card. As well as a nail tool thingy for $.99 for a total of $7.55 with WA tax.

Okay i should also mention that i placed a small but highly anticipated order on Avon.com for some goodies because they had a buy 3 for $7.99 on certain products and free shipping with $5 purchase (code:SPREE2009 ends 11/30/2009). I picked up some polishes, glosses and a cheap face mask for $18 - no shipping! I really love the shipping deals because often i just want a few things on sale/clearance and don't want to pay shipping for 3-4 little cheap things. Great idea Avon!

Also placed a hefty order with Zoya for their "green" friday promo where u can get 6 free green polishes if u spent $20. I decided to just buy enough to grab free shipping. The Zoya polishes i have are great but normally a little on the pricier side than what i prefer. But 14 polishes for $56 comes out to $4 a bottle. More reasonable than the $7 price tag. Yeah my polish collection is gonna start growing exponentially at this rate! Okay not quite... But a girl can dream can't she?

Currently looking for new nail polish organization ideas... Gonna need it. :)

Nail Polish Haul!

Hey guys! I am bringing you my latest nail polish haul and i must admit... I am quite giddy! I wish i was some sort of human octopus so i could wear all my new colors!

But anyways, let's get to the haul.
Everything i purchased is from 3 places: Head2ToeBeauty, CherryCulture, and a few from Forever 21.

As a result, my collection has reeeeally grown. I have can only assume that this is just the start. :P




China Glaze is one of my favorite brands. A great price and a wide array of colors. While i like other brands, not many seem to really step out and make bold colors as often as they should. All the China Glaze below were from Head2ToeBeauty.

So here are the colors i picked...

Left to Right: Stella, Recycle, Cashmere creme, Cords (Wearing this now)


Left to Right: Hybrid, VII, Sex on the beach, Coconut Kiss, III


I also decided to snag some Color Club polishes because of the great prices on Head2ToeBauty.


L to R: Babe, Electronica, Diva in Brown, With abandon, Love 'em Leave 'em (AMAZING color!)


L to R: Mocha Whisper, Slow Jam, Ready to Wear, On the wild side, Jewel tone blue


L to R: Skin Deep, Summer of Love, I am not a plastic bottle (these are mini sizes)



LA Girls make some great polishes as well! I bought a few from Forever 21 and the rest from CherryCulture.


L to R: Burgundy, Indigo, Deep Purple (these are all amazing colors i got from Forever21)


L to R: Matte Alpine Green, Matte Plum


L to R" Garnet, Luminous, Rock n Roll


Also tried some polishes from LA Colors and I'm not sure how i feel about them yet...


L to R: Sandstorm, Dark Gray, Grain


And two Misc polishes


L to R: OPI in How to Jamaica Million and Sinful colors in Noelle

So this is my haulage! I took the pics in the best lighting possible in the dreary fall weather but they colors came out pretty accurate. I'll be posting my new nail color, a few new things i picked up as well as a list of wanted nail polishes so i can begin to be a serious collector. :)


BTW, have you noticed the new look of my blog? Still not complete but it is getting there. Any input would be welcomed.