OPI "Mermaid's Tears"

This is from the new OPI Pirates of The Caribbean collection. I only bought this one color, but I must say I am pretty interested in the other polishes from this collection! They all have this murky quality to them which adds uniqueness to what would otherwise be rather boring colors. "Mermaid's Tears" is like the dark, murky version of Essie "Turquoise and Caicos", which is a lovely color. This is a bright turquoise with a hint of sea-foam, but it has this grey, murky, dulled quality to it, which is a unique quality in all the polishes from this collection. I suppose the easiest color description is MURKY TURQUOISE. like brackish seas? mayhap.
The formula on this is fabulous. Opaque in three coats. Decent dry time (thought I use Seche Vite, which speeds up my dry time quite a bit). Lovely polish to work with, no frustrations, difficulties. No complaints at all about this. It's really that fabulous. If you like this type of color, GO BUY THIS ONE. NOW. <3

Sinful Colors "Why Not"

Two coats, Orly Bonder (base coat), Seche Vite (top coat)

Opaque in one coat, but I did two just for good measure. It's thick but not so thick that it will make a mess. I only had to dip the brush into the polish once to get enough to paint five nails, which is insane. It dries well. It has not chipped or flaked in a few days, but there is minor tip-wear (I type a lot). Excellent nail polish. ALSO it only costs 1.99 USD. Seriously.

Snowy Snowy Nails (since it snowed -- stupid snow!)

I did this manicure tonight, and I didn't think I would like it, but I am happily surprised to find that I rather enjoy it, even if it is a bit obnoxious. I started with Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener, which is not meant to be a base coat, but it works really well as one, and it has been keeping my nails from breaking (as they have been weak, peeling, and breaking lately). I then added two coats of Sinful Colors "See You Soon" which is a gorgeous midnight blue with a hint of blue shimmer, very finely milled topped with Orly "Shining Star" which is a jelly base with glitter that flashes orange to green from the base of the nail to the tip. I followed with China Glaze "Atlantis" from the middle of each nail to the tip with my holographic glitter Snowman (Blue Cross) nail polish that I got at Rite Aid at the very tips. I used Orly "Flash Dry" between coats of everything to ensure no mixing of my glitters, and I topped it with my usual Seche Vite top coat (which was the only appropriate one to use with so much glitter. I have to make sure there are no glitter bumps! ick). I'll probably remove this pretty soon as I'm not a huge fan of glitter, and I get annoyed with it pretty quickly, but for the time being I enjoy it.

I also posted this on Luuux, where you can earn points to spend on delightful things AND share all kinds of stuff with other people! Check it:

Hard Candy Nail Polish "Sky"

I really do not like this nail polish. The color is gorgeous with a really pretty sheen, but the formula is impossible. I could not get an even coat to save my life! For reference these photos are three coats. And you see how messy it is? That's not my fault. The nail polish WOULD not work for me--not at all. It is a little disappointing, but it was only four dollars, and it will not kill me to work with this polish. I'll have to play with it more to see if I can get a decent manicure out of it, but for the time being I am just frustrated with it. This is the first of the new Hard Candy polishes I've tried, so it does not bode well for future Hard Candy polish purchases!

I posted on Luuux, too!

September Favorites

1. Boots Expert Sensitive Hydrating Serum
2. Earth Therapeutics Complexion Brush
3. NYX lipstick "Thalia"
4. NYX MegaShine gloss "Gold" (over Thalia)
5. Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in "Heavenly"
6. Revlon Beyond Natural Protective LipTint "Nude"
7. Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss "Lilac Pastelle" (over "Heavenly")
8. WetnWild ColorIcon eyeshadows "Penny"
9. "" "Nutty"
10. WetnWild ColorIcon blush "Pearlescent Pink"
11. Aussie Sydney Smooth Anti-Humidity Hair Spray
12. OPI "Yoga-Ta Get This Blue!"
13. Sally Hansen "Hidden Treasure" (over "Yoga-Ta Get This Blue!")

OPI "Yoga-Ta Get This Blue" with Sally Hansen "Hidden Treasure"

I believe this is my favorite combination with HT so far. It looks gorgeous of "Here Today . . . Aragon Tomorrow" as well as "Pamplona Purple", but this just ---I love it.

OPI "What's with The Cattitude?"

I love this color, but the formula for this polish is absolutely horrible, certainly not up to par for OPI. It is thick and goopy, yet it is impossible to get an even layer. I had to use three coats just to even out the layers. It is opaque enough in two coats, but there is still a tiny bit of show-through, and as mentioned, it goes on really chunky. The dry time is acceptable, not particularly noteworthy. I would prefer this with some glitter (BBCouture makes the perfect polish like this with glitter, and I am willing to bet the formula is less annoying). As you can see, however, in three coats everything looks nice and even. It was just a pain to get to that point. I will continue to search for the perfect this-color as this one falls a little flat. I was so excited about it, too!