Borghese, Stellare Notte

I feel the need to apologize for the upcoming images because they were taken during a cloudy afternoon (it's cold in southern california, which is... strange. I'm still recovering from a nasty cold I've picked up because of it), and although the duochrome effect of this polish was immediately evident, the camera didn't pick it up.

The next few pictures are me trying to get the shift to show up on picture.  It wouldn't. But you can kind of see that slight blue tint on the finger second to the left, right? Right?

Urgh. Anyway.

Stellare Notte applies in two coats--like usual, I found Borghese's brush to like giving me cuticle drag on the first coat, but a light hand saved the application process.  It is a moody old polish, one that reminds me of black pearls.  The purple to green flash on its deep blue-purple shimmery base is fascinating, constant, and subtle.  I got more than a few compliments on this polish, and it's warming me to the duochrome thing...

Urgh, I'll have to take these pictures again anyway.

Borghese Almondine

Whoo! A new polish! Whoo! End of finals! Whoo! Spring break!

This is quite possibly as un-spring break a polish could possibly get, but y'know what? I love it. Say hello to Borghese Almondine, which is without doubt the strangest polish that I own. It looks like a very elegant cool-toned nude from far off, but its coolness is made wearable by this incredibly secret pink shimmer (yes, it is there--on the nail AND in the bottle) and little tiny black flecks.  Grunge had secret shimmer, but no, not black flecks. Almondine is Grunge's undead zombie sister, back from the crypt.

Terrible horrible brushstrokes, right?  I'm beginning to wonder whether it's the brush or it's my sleep-deprivation or the caffeine or the stress or the formula or seche (gah, it thickened on me), but this polish was very difficult to apply.  I did better on the left hand (total anomaly for me, since I'm left-handed) because I'd decided to apply the polish very, very lightly. It helps. Do that.

You can kind of see the secret shimmer hanging out at the left over there.

Hmm. Is it just me, or is that last picture kinda wonky?  These last three pictures, btw, are taken indoors next to the kitchen door, which is why it seems a little stark. The color is true to life when one is indoors, however.

Anyway, I'm going to be off to Acapulco with a couple friends until Thursday.  Out of the four polishes that I was allowed to wear (and I figured I'd never actually have the time to paint my nails anyway when I'll probably be doing whatever tourists do in Acapulco), I figured this is the one that wasn't going to clash with everything I wore (I REALLY wanted to wear a coral or a turquoise or a hot tamale red, but they're not in my four.

Speaking of my four, they are currently:  1) Butter London Billy No Mates 2) ChG Emerald Sparkle 3) Borghese Almondine and 4) Sephora Blue Sapphire. I finished both of the OPI minis, using a little of both of them to create two different frankens.

Oh yeah! I have three frankens I want to show you guys! Soon, I hope--two weeks till easter, and then I can swatch again. :)
And oh boy, are there many, many untrieds...