Sally Hansen Marine Scene

Tonight’s post is really random.

While I was sitting here freezing, I said to myself: “Self–why don’t you paint your nails blue to match the temperature of your fingers?”

So I went digging through my blue/purple drawer to find something I hadn’t shown before. I was looking for my OPI Ink, but came across this one instead.

 

I’ve had this one stuffed in my stash for over a year. I bought it at Big Lots for a buck.

It’s got a little duochrome flash–green and blue. Not too terribly noticeable. Still cute though.

 

It’s very thin. This is four coats plus topcoat.

Enjoy!

P.S. For those of you who heard about the tornadoes roaring through Mobile, David and I are fine. The majority of the damage was in our neighborhood, though. Light a candle for those who lost their homes.

Revlon Facets of Fuchsia + PVA Glue Wear Test

So I wanted to see how PVA glue held up to my normal wear and tear of everyday life.

“Before” shot

Once again, I picked a glitter that I had been lusting after for a while, but never got around to wearing.

It’s been four long days since these pics were taken. I decided that three is really my limit for when I get bored of a color and four is pushing the bounds of my sanity.

“After” shot

These nails made it through a few showers, some dish washing, innumerable hand washings and all the other stuff you typically go through in your day-to-day lives.

So, this is what they look like. Just normal tip wear for me.

And they still peeled right off with a little coaxing from my rubber-ended cuticle pusher.

Revolutionary. To me, at least. 🙂

Enjoy!

P.S. I am heading to Miami tomorrow. My mother has been sick for a few months, and they’re transferring her to a facility there so she can get better care. Light a candle for us, if you’re so inclined. Thank you.

 

China Glaze Cleopatra + PVA Glue Magic

So… I was browsing around the blogosphere the other day when I stumbled across this patch of awesomeness from Lab Muffin and Pretty Purple Polish: PVA Glue as an alternative to Essence’s peel-off base coat. :O

What the what??? Where the hell have I been??? Do you know how many glitters I have shoved in a Helmer drawer all lonely and unloved and junk–just because I’m too lazy to wrap my fingers in aluminum foil and acetone until they freeze to death? Too many. And it’s a shame.

Not anymore kids! All of these glitters can shine now–and not interfere with my lazydom!

So I went to the local craft store, and I picked up a bottle of Elmer’s Glue. Yes. The same lovable white glue from our childhoods. The same glue that, when the teachers weren’t looking, you put on your skin and let it dry just to peel it off. I know I’m not the only one. But I digress.

I had a few franken bottles laying around, so I grabbed one and filled it with said glue. I didn’t need to thin it with water, I just let it go as is.

I painted a decent coat over my nails:

And I let it dry for about 10 minutes, give or take. You can tell it’s dry when it turns matte:

So then, I grabbed a glitter that I have had in my stash for years, but never bothered to swatch. Because it’s a pain to remove, yo.

China Glaze Cleopatra

Pretty? Yes. Hard to remove? Not anymore! P.S. this is four coats.

Here is where the magic truly begins.

ZOMG IT PEELS RIGHT OFF

I took a rubber-ended cuticle pusher and gently lifted the polish and glue off in one piece. ONE PIECE.

It’s nekkers nails!

The few remnants were easily disposed of with a quick swipe of polish remover.

And that, to me, is a beautiful thing.

Do I recommend this for everyone? Probably not. Especially if your nails are peeling or what have you. For me, it’s like my Keurig–I cannot imagine how I lived my life without it. Also, any time I use PVA glue for a base, I will make sure to moisturize my nails afterwards to ensure that they’re not drying out.

Right now, I’m trying out a wear test with another glitter that has gone too long being neglected. Stay tuned. 🙂

 

Pink Wednesday (on a Thursday!): China Glaze 100 Proof Pink

Sooooo I wore this yesterday when I had to make a long ass drive to Lake City, Florida. What’s in Lake City? Nothing much. Not even a decent rock station on the radio. LoL

BUT! I stopped in Tallahassee on the way back to grope and molest some Malabrigo yarn at a Local Yarn Shop (LYS) called Wooly Bully. For those of you not in the know… do not ever get addicted to this yarn. You will be broke as a joke. It may be too late for me. Only finances will tell. I will show you guys some pics of the lovely colorways I picked up too (I’m excited…sorry)!

However, back to the main topic: China Glaze 100 Proof Pink

Sorry... the sun has been playing peek-a-boo all day.

100 Proof Pink is another gift from Secret Santadom (I was spoiled. I know. I still have polishes to show you too). It’s a Barbie pink jelly with silver shimmery goodness.

This is three coats and a coat of SV. *squish squish*

I’m annoyed. Here I sit inside working up this blog post and it’s sunny. Hmph.

Enjoy!

Oh oh oh! And here’s my yarn:

I had to tinker with the color correction for "Cumparsita." The colors themselves are pretty accurate, but the pic does not show how shiny and deep and lush it really is. If I had dyed this, I would have called it "Black Cherry." 😉

Are You a Julep Maven?

**Updated 09/01/11: Some fellow nail bloggers (and non-bloggers) have run into issues with Julep regarding their referral program and customer service practices. For more information, I suggest checking out Jen’s and Kitty’s posts. Though I am fully aware of the current problems surrounding the Maven program, I will continue to participate unless my own experiences with Julep give me a reason not to. As always, use your judgment.**

No? Why not?

The Julep Maven program is kind of like Birchbox, except it’s all nail/hand care (and polish) all the time. Check it out here*.

For $19.99 a month, you get a delicious box of nail goodies delivered right to your door. The products within the box each month are at least $40 retail (the introductory box retailed for $74!). The best part? You get full-sized products. The nail polishes by themselves retail for $14, so with just one polish, the box has almost paid for itself.

Also what’s really neat: you get an email each month telling you what’s going to be in the next box. If you don’t like the color, you can request a “shelf pull” and they will pick another color based on your personal style quiz. If you need to pause your box for a month, you can totally do that. And, if you know of someone that needs a pick-me-up, you can send your box to a friend. How neat is that?

I’m really excited to share my box with you guys! 🙂

When I took the personal style quiz, I was categorized as “Classic With a Twist.”

Goodies came in a Julep bag tied with a bow. Awwww...

So, I untied the bow and thought, “This is the best birthday gift evah.” (Tomorrow is my birthday, in case you’re wondering if I’m a crack head.)

This is what came inside the bag:

The color on the right is called Alfre–it’s an unreleased color for Fall 2011. It’s a steely purple shimmer. The color on the left is Carrie-a girly pink. Which I’m certainly OK with (Pink Wednesday anyone?). And in the middle is Julep’s basecoat. I am interested in giving this a whirl too. I’m married to one particular basecoat, so we’ll see how it stacks up. 😉

There’s a full-size tube of Julep’s Glycolic Hand Scrub called “Facial for Hands” (and I’m really looking forward to indulging myself with this!) which retails for $32. They also included two samples: one of Facial for Hands and one of their SPF 30 Hand Cream.

So like I said, I’m super excited. What’s in your Julep Maven box?

Oh. You haven’t signed up? What are you waiting for? There’s even a code that will get you a 50% discount on your first box: TWITTER

*The link included in this post is a referral link. You get one too, when you sign up for the Julep Maven program. Each successful referral gives you a $15 credit. Enjoy!