OPI Melon Of Troy

Coral is an interesting shade.  A first I unabashedly loved it thanks to Deborah Lippmann It's Delovely, which I have to show you one of these days.  Something I recently read in Ji Baek's book however made me reconsider it as a color indicative of my grandmother.  Now I just can't shake that matronly feeling.

OPI Melon of Troy, from the Greek Isles Collection, is a peachy coral frost.  It covers nicely in two coats.  Frosts can be a little streaky so you have to be careful about brushstrokes, but overall I found this polish easy to work with.

OPI Melon Of Troy, two coats, sunlight

Sometimes giving polishes a second try brings about a whole new experience with them.  I will try this one again more towards summer, when I'm a little more tan.  As a first time manicure it didn't really grab me.  I LOVE the name though, so OPI gets an A+ for that!

OPI Yoga-ta get this blue!

Good morning everyone.  Yesterday I was in the mood for a celebratory manicure, something fun yet sophisticated, so I went with OPI Yoga-ta get this blue! From the OPI India collection.  This is a fabulous navy blue with a teal shimmer that gives it a perfect lit-from-within sheen.  In the past I've had difficulty making it opaque but here it is with just two coats, perfectly even.  I think I've just gotten used to working with OPI polishes.  This one does tend to have a problem with bubbling though, so you are going to have to wait a while-5 minutes- between coats.  The wear is pretty good, I've had it on for 24 hours and there is only minimal tipwear on my right thumb.  

OPI Yoga-ta get this blue!  Two coats, natural light

It's so shiny and reflective, it literally looks like my nails have just been dipped in navy blue ink.  The teal shimmer gives it a fresh summery feeling.  Overall I'd agree with the name and say this is a must-have!

I won a job!

Hi everyone!  I wanted to write a quick post to let you know a few key things:

• I'm here!  Thanks to a broken computer and busy schedule I've had to put blogging on hold.  But now that Apple has corrected my water damage (note: do not keep water bottles and laptop in purse at same time) and my schedule is a little calmer, I plan to post much more frequently.
• My car hit 60,000 miles today!  The amazing thing is that it is a 1997 model.  Thank you, Grandma, for giving me your car when your lottery-winner boyfriend bought you a new one :-)
• I WON A JOB!!!!  For a classical musician, this is a huge deal!  And for a polish addict this means I will have a replenished budget.  But seriously, I am insanely excited and can't wait to start playing with my symphony.  I will definitely be buying OPI San Tan-Tonio!

Sorry there are no pictures.  Here is a mental image though:  For the first round of auditions yesterday I was wearing Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe, one coat over one coat of OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui.  Then I massacred it waiting for results so I did a new manicure that night: Zoya Mimi.  And since even I was a bit hesitant to wear such a sparkly purple in front of an audition committee, I toned it down with OPI Black Shatter.  HAWT!  Pictures soon, thanks for your patience!

Leaf the Space Cadet at the Altar

My manicure mojo has indeed been down as of late, that is until today's creation rejuvenated my spirits!  Here is SEPHORA by OPI Leaf Him At The Altar...

SEPHORA by OPI Leaf Him At The Altar, two coats

 ...or is it?!

Woah, betcha you didn't see that one coming!  Isn't that amazing?!  Orly Space Cadet is on my ring fingers and at the correct angle, the two are indistinguishable!  I've been getting into accent fingers recently, seeing them an extra way to express the creativity that's just bursting out.  And with so many polishes available, who can ever settle on using just one? Now I can't take complete credit for this design though, it was a collaboration with a very good friend who wanted something a little out of the ordinary. I brought Orly Space Cadet for her and she supplied Leaf Him at the Altar.  The one variation on the manicure I gave her is that in addition to the accent finger, she also has a racing stripe of Space Cadet down her thumbs.  Awesome!

SEPHORA by OPI Leaf Him At The Altar with three coats Orly Space Cadet on ring finger

Not only do I love the completed look, but Leaf Him At The Altar is amazing unto itself.  A brilliant frosty springy green, beautiful application, terrific hue.  Major kudos to my friend for letting me borrow it, and for her adventurous manicure spirit!  It has indeed reaffirmed my love of polish.

Free Zoya Nail Polish

Here is exciting news from Zoya:  Because they have reached 20,000 likes on facebook, they are releasing a code redeemable for 3 free bottles!  This may be a nod to the fact that they are a 3-free brand, or it may just be the most generous new years gift any polish lover could ask for.  The code will be released today, January 3 and is redeemable at zoya.com January 4-7.

I've enjoyed browsing through Zoya's immense polish library trying to narrow down my selection.  I think what I've finally settled on are:

Mimi- this was my first ever Zoya lemming- a sparkly royal purple

Manon- I bought this spoon just because of the name (Manon Lescaut = one of my fav operas) and ended up really digging the color.  It's a sophisticated raspberry/strawberry red I think will be the perfect sultry summer shade

And Finally:

Pippa!  Perhaps the color I am most excited about.  I think bright yellow is going to be a hot ticket item this summer.  It started to gain some publicity with Chanel's L.A. Sunrise and some celebrity endorsements, and with what to me seems like a rise in nail polish culture I think the shade is about to see its heyday.

The 3 polishes will be free, all you have to cover is the $6.95 shipping cost.  But hey, with Christmas money burning a hole in my pocket that doesn't seem so outrageous for great polish.  I'm not sure if you have to "like" Zoya to get the code, but just to be safe I'd recommend doing so quick!  It hasn't been released yet, but if you're anything like me you're brimming with the uncontainable excitement otherwise reserved for the premier of Jersey Shore season 3 on Thursday...for which I may also have a special K-woww manicure up my sleeve....what a minute jersey girls don't wear sleeves...

I want to hear what colors you'll be getting!

OPI You Don't Know Jacques! Suede

Going along with the winter suede theme, here is OPI You Don't Know Jacques! Suede.  First off, (francophile alert) I love the name.    Another reason I love this polish is because it makes for a super easy manicure: no base or top coat, two coats, and it dries really quickly.  Oh and YDKJS also practically applies itself.  I wore for a couple days (until I got antsy and needed a color change) and was very happy with how it held up.  This is a great neutral that has just enough interest and will look great on those with cooler skin tones.

OPI You Don't Know Jacques Suede, two coats

Holy cow, isn't it cool?!  It reminds me of cowboys and leather and I think I'll definitely be wearing it to the rodeo this year, yehaw!

Wet N Wild Morbid- Matte

A lot of matte dark green polishes have been released (Zoya Veruschuka, OPI Here Today Aragon Tomorrow) and I wanted to put my own twist on it.  I think the matte texture is very winter appropriate since looks cozy like a sweater.  This manicure is three coats of Wet n Wild Morbid with one coat of Butter London Matte Finish.  This turned out awesome!  Exactly what I had in mind.  The matte made the green duochrome effect of Morbid less pronounced and the whole thing had a sort of blackened green sheen to it which was very appealing.

Wet n Wild Morbid, three coats with one coat Butter London matte top coat

Wet n Wild Morbid, three coats, with one coat Butter London matte top coat

What do you think?  Do you think the matte finish is only seasonally appropriate?  What are your favorite colors to wear matte?