NOTD: Sugar Cookie

Um, did you miss me?

I don't think I can even begin to apologize for how long I've been away from this blog (I do love you Blog, I really do), but hopefully this awesome image of what I've been wearing while I've been away will help.

No, not the entire time I was away. I'm not completely lost yet!

This is a single coat of Milani Gems--the old-news Happy Birthday (Deborah Lippmann) wannabe, underneath Essie Marshmallow. Like others I've tried out the layering glitter underneath sheer polish thing with great success--Milani Gems is lovely, but frankly a little bit intimidating for somebody like me. The way I wore it looked like sugar cookies, and I got a ton of compliments, too. Not bad for a nail style.

While I get back into the groove of things, I'm gonna have to ask for your patience--I'm having trouble figuring out where I left off, what swatches are relevant, etc. etc.

Do you guys mind seeing the oldies?

MAC, Blue India

 Hmm. I'm a little late on the uptake here, right?  All things considering--Mac's Blue India having come out about nine months ago or such. Oops!

I won this polish from a giveaway that Wan from I Love Nail Polish (Hi Wan! Thanks for the polish! I miss your blog posts!) held a while ago.  I received the package, oohed and aahed over its contents, and then it just sat in my stash, collecting dust. 

See, I'm actually a seasonal polish wearer (I've been wearing exclusively red/green/glittery stuff lately, due to the christmas season--and once that passes I'll probably throw myself into the pale blues and greys that always remind me of the winter) and dusty colors feel most appropriate to me in the fall. And then Blue India is, well, blue--and I wear most of my blues in the winter. So really, this is actually the most perfect time for me to debut this polish. Yes?

No?

Well, in any case, it's lovely:  two smooth, easy to apply coats (bravo, MAC! It's about time) of a perfect blue-grey that makes me think of stormy skies along the coastline. It's a melancholy shade that goes well with all the blues, greys, and blacks in my wardrobe, but would probably provide a counterpoint to pale pinks and creme shades in the spring. The pictures are after a day of wear--as you can see, it's still very intact. 

(Urgh, cuticles. Macro, why are you so unforgiving on my hands?) 

I like the way the color shifts from being more blue or more grey depending on its lighting.  The above picture is far more blue than the one before that. Oh Blue India, you are so temperamental. :)

OPI, Let Me Entertain You

When I first put on this polish it reminded me quite viscerally of the polishes I used to wear four years ago:  mostly bright, metallic, almost-offensive hot pinks/fucshias/magentas that were not creme in any way, shape, or form. Let Me Entertain You could've nestled quite well with that old collection (I used it up).  I'm not sure how I feel about that.

On the other hand, Let Me Entertain You is most certainly a winner of a polish:  it's a bright, saturated, not-quite-pink-or-red polish in that glassflake-shimmer finish that's been so popular lately.  (I'm beginning to think that this finish is the perfect alternative for people who love the way glitter looks but hates the way it removes.  These aren't hard to remove at all with a good square of felt and your favorite nail polish remover.) I used two coats here and, although it's quite bright and true to the bottle, you can see a bit of VNL.  If I wasn't so lazy I'd do a third coat. 

I'm really loving that hot pink flash you see on the nail.

I have to admit:  I think that Let Me Entertain You is the winner of the OPI Burlesque collection. I was feeling kind of 'meh' about the multicolored glitter--I like mine a little more fine and a little less multicolored--and I thought Tease-y Does It was really close to Ulta's For Bitten.  I own The Show Must Go On and despite the amount of compliments I get on the color I can't quite get into it. But this one is showy, nostalgic, sassy, and I relish in the nostalgia and the brightness of my hands. :) It's a lovely color.

For anyone who's curious--it's also a dupe of Zoya Alegra. I'm fascinated to see how it'll compare to Hard Candy Fabuluxe, but I can't illustrate the comparison myself since I don't have the Hard Candy. Obviously the finish'll be different, but still...

Hmm, lots of dupes going on this year, dontchathink?

BB Couture, Vampy Varnish (take 2)

This is one of my favorite polishes ever (it made the top 20 twice), but I've never ever ever been able to capture a good picture of this one.  It is a black jelly with BBC's famous micro gold/green glitter, and it looks like the universe. 

What you see here are three coats to get rid of any less pigmented spots on the nails.  The polish is a little thicker than average and you may want to thin it for better control--I just work with it. Despite the glitter it's smooth as glass with one good coat of topcoat. I'm currently using Essie's Good to Go!. 

Some bright bottle love (oh, look, there's a crack! Oh no! I'm sorry, Vampy Varnish. D:) 

 And here's how I've been wearing this polish lately...

China Glaze, Dynasty

One of my favorite holiday polishes thus far.  I love the warm, tomato-red jelly, the flashes of different-sized holographic glitter.  It is sparkly and wears ridiculously well. Three coats. 

Sometimes glitter like this reminds me of the flurry of snow. :) 

And blurry to show a little bit of its holographic spark..

I know I haven't been posting as much as before, but work just keeps piling! Please stay tuned, you guys:  I've a giveaway coming up!

Franken, Vincent

This is my second attempt at creating a starry night franken.  It is by far my favorite.

I used a mostly empty bottle of Color Club Sex Symbol (all the glitter dried up on the edges), Borghese's Mezzanotte Blue (about half a bottle or more, I don't remember), and clear, regular topcoat for the rest of it. 

(Excuse my cuticles!)

The color is vivid and flattering on my skin, the polish goes on smooth but a little thick in two coats. It wore on me for ages.

I also like how the glitter is of different sizes and looks pale blue because of the way the jelly glitter covers it. I also like how some glitters float to the top and remains silver, giving it depth. I just really like this polish. It was easy to make and wonderful to wear, and really, what else are we looking for in a franken other than that?

Nars, Zulu

Ah, Nars Zulu. My first giant lemming.  Started by perusing innocently through a bunch of blogs before finding my blackened-green jelly love that also happened to be ridiculously expensive and impossible to find without forking an untold amount of money on eBay. 

I blame my addiction to true, deep greens entirely on Nars Zulu. I even blame my need for jellies as dark and moody in color on Nars Zulu.  I used to want to attempt frankens, I considered buying Anna Sui's 915 (just as hard to find and elusive). I didn't believe all the hushed and frantic rumors that Zulu would be re-released. Why would such a thing come so easily? Who, besides np collectors like myself, would desire such a thing? It was a hopeless cause.

Except that Nars did re-release Zulu. And imagine my  surprise when a little box filled with deep green jelly goodness showed up on my doorstep!

Zulu is two coats, with perfect application--like all jellies of its kind, it initially applies streakily and eases and levels with the second coat. It is lovely--deep near black in indoors light and shade, a true emerald in sunlight.

Oh, Zulu. We are meant to be.