China Glaze Watermelon Rind

This polish holds a special place in my heart as one of the first bottles of China Glaze I ever bought.  I was looking for a sparkly teal and thought this would be just that.  While it wound up being more green than teal I still love it.  It goes on pretty thin so I needed three coats, and even then I could still see patchiness in direct sunlight.  I think if you used a thicker second coat it would fix that.

China Glaze Watermelon Rind, three coats, shade

China Glaze Watermelon Rind, three coats, direct sunlight
See the ugly thin patches on my middle finger? Grrr.

China Glaze Watermelon Rind, three coats, indirect sunlight

This one is absolutely spectacular in the sun!  I remember wearing it in late August and being mesmerized.  It's still nice for winter though and I feel like since it's sparkly green/teal, and Mrs. Claus is sparkly red/pink the two would go together nicely for a Christmas manicure.

Orly Space Cadet

Space Cadet is the only color from the ORLY FX collection that captured my attention, so when I finally saw it available in the display I had to snatch it up.  It's a purple/green/yellow triochrome (?) with an intense coppery glitter in the sunlight.  It looks very different depending on the lighting you're in, which is one of the really fun things about wearing it.  I tried to capture it's different personalities in the pictures below.

The polish applies well though it is a little transparent.  I needed three coats for full effect.  This first picture is with flash, it captures both the coppery glitter effect and the green duochrome.

Orly Space Cadet, two coats with flash 

This picture is in direct sunlight.  Here Space Cadet looks very purple with a copper flash and green undertone.

Orly Space Cadet, two coats, direct sunlight

Here I tried to capture the most of the duochrome effect that I could.  You can see the purple towards the tip, then the green in the middle and yellow towards the base.  Meanwhile, the bottle looks very purple.

Orly Space Cadet, two coats direct sunlight

Here's more of the duochrome effect in indirect sunlight.

Orly Space Cadet, two coats indirect sunlight

None of these pictures really capture how your nails look at any given moment while wearing this color, however they do demonstrate the many facets of this polish.  I think this would be a really fun summer pedicure.

NYX Tahitian

Here's a polish I've had forever, couldn't remember buying and don't think I ever wore until this past spring.  NYX Tahitian is a lime green with a great shimmer.  I don't know what that has to do with Tahiti, it makes me think of fiestas and margaritas.  It's very sheer in one coat, I used three for these swatches.  The polish was pretty thin but it wasn't too difficult.  Personally I'd rather deal with a runny polish than a thick gloopy one.  (I'm talking about you, L'Oreal Waters Edge.)  Maybe one day I'll get around to investing in a good polish thinner...  Anyhow, NYX Tahitian in shade and sunlight.

NYX Tahitian, three coats shade

NYX Tahitian, three coats direct sunlight

It's a nice color and for $4 the formula isn't bad.  The main thing that deters me from buying more of this brand is that it isn't big 3-free.  Anyone have any good lime green 3-free suggestions?

Happy Thanksgiving

I originally hadn't planned on posting today, but so many things to be thankful for have been popping through my mind all day.  I'd like to take a moment to share them with you.

Things That I Am Thankful For
1. My wonderful, supportive, inspiring and amusing friends and family
2. My good health
3. The ability to make a living playing music and my beautiful French Horn
4. The internet
5. Cell phones
6. Winter outerwear- because it's cute and without it we'd be very cold
7. 9-1-1- Thankfully I haven't had to use it, but I like knowing it's there
8. Air travel
9. My Honda

I feel like maybe I'm forgetting something...

Oh Yeah!

10. Nail Polish!
Specifically, fabulous colors and manicures that last.  As I rush of in my elastic-waistband leggings to go be a complete glutton, I'd like to leave you with pictures of Chanel Paradoxal, a manicure that I did on Tuesday that has held up through three days and some serious Thanksgiving cooking.

Chanel Paradoxal, two coats with top coat, indirect sunlight

I'm also thankful for you, Chanel.  This is my second time wearing Paradoxal and I love it even more than the first.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.  I'd love to hear what you are thankful for!

Suzi Says Feng Shui

Here's a color I love but haven't worn too much recently.  Suzi Says Feng Shui from the OPI Spring 2010 Hong Kong collection is a dusty blue creme.  The exact shade of blue is hard to describe.  It's bright but not in-your-face, it almost has a neutral quality to it.  Here are two photos, the first in shade, the second in sunlight.

OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui, two coats shade

Cremes don't get any higher shine than this!

OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui, two coats direct sunlight

While the color works for Winter the finish definitely says Summer.  With what little light there is available during these shorter days, I need at least some shimmer in my life.  I wonder how this would look under Party Hearty or Bring on the Bling...

China Glaze Sugar Plums

Here's another from the China Glaze 'Tis The Season Holiday 2010 Collection.  Sugar Plums is a velvety maroon with flecks of holographic glitter.  This polish is interesting because without top coat, the glitter gives it a textured effect, like it's literally coated with a dusting of sugar.  You can chose to wear it like this, or you can add a top coat, which brings out more of the holograph.  I found the holograph to be very subtle and would probably wear it this way in the future.  Given the choice between texture or bling, I gotta go with bling.

China Glaze Sugar Plums, two coats no top coat with flash

China Glaze Sugar Plums, two coats direct sunlight

China Glaze Sugar Plums, two coats with flash

China Glaze Sugar Plums two coats with top coat, flash

I love this color.  I think the particular shade of maroon is very Christmasy.  Ideally the holograph would be more pronounced, but I'm willing to forgive that.

Deborah Lippmann Across The Universe

So. Pretty.  A sheer navy base swimming with aqua sequins, green sequins and blue glitter, Across The Universe is truly one of the most fascinating polishes I've ever worn.  This was released by Deborah Lippmann along with Bad Romance for Fall 2010, and it's hard to say which I like better.  Across The Universe has more sparkle and much more glitter, but there's just something about the black/purple glitter combination that calls to me.  Anyway here are pictures of ATU so you can decide for yourself!  This is three coats with top coat.

Deborah Lippmann Across The Universe, three coats, sunlight

Deborah Lippmann Across The Universe, three coats sunlight

Deborah Lippmann Across The Universe, three coats shade

Deborah Lippmann Across The Universe, three coats direct sunlight

You can see it has a higher concentration of glitter than Bad Romance, and the sequins are two different colors instead of just one.  This is probably why I couldn't decide between the two polishes and had to get both!  Thank you Nordstroms San Antonio for encouraging my Lippmann Addiction.