KOTD: ChG Jitterbug with Pink and Black Leopard

Yesterday, I realized it's been months since I've done a konad, so I decided to give myself a bit of a challenge, use all the colors in the new ChG Vintage Vixen collection in konad designs, either as the base or as the stamper.  Here's the first one:

This is ChG Jitterbug as a base with Migi black as the leopard stamp from plate m57 and I used to pink striper to accent the leopard design.  I'm not too happy with the pink spots, but this is my first time doing this type of design, so I was a bit unsure of how to go about it.  I definitely plan on practicing, because I love the effect in other pics I've seen.

China Glaze Vintage Vixen Collection

I recently received China Glaze Vintage Vixen to review. I was so excited to try this collection and let me tell you… it certainly did not disappoint. Opening up the box was like Christmas for me. Each color had me oohing and aahing at the bottle, and I couldn’t wait to get them on my nails.

Here are the color descriptions from China Glaze:
Riveter Rouge – Deep red shimmer
Foxy – Burgundy frost with shimmer
Goin’ My Way – Brown frost with copper shimmer
Classic Camel – Khaki crème with gold micro glitter
Swing Baby – Taupe frost with silver micro glitter
Ingrid – “Greige” crème with copper micro glitter
Hey Doll – Rose frost with shimmer
Bogie – Plum frost with shimmer
First Class Ticket – Deep purple frost with shimmer
Midnight Mission – Navy blue frost with silver micro glitter
Emerald Fitzgerald – Turquoise green frost with shimmer
Jitterbug – Grey chrome with silver micro glitter

Classic Camel – I think of all the colors, I was actually the most excited about trying this one. I know that seems a little odd, but as beautiful as the reds, greens, and blues sounded (and looked in other swatches), the neutrals in this collection are the real stand-outs, and Classic Camel was no exception. It doesn’t photograph all that well, to be honest. It looks like a weird mustard color with gold micro glitter. However, in person, it’s gorgeous. It’s a very wearable khaki crème with lots of golden micro-shimmer. It doesn’t work all that well with my pink skintone, but I still see myself wearing this in the fall/winter. I had a bit of a wonky brush, so my application wasn't near perfect, but the formula itself seemed fine. It took 3 coats to reach opacity, but that also could be because it was hard to get the color even with the crazy brush.

Ingrid – When I hear “greige”, I immediately think of something a bit lighter. So, I was a bit surprised to see this one in person. The base is a gorgeous murky color that I’m having some difficulty in describing. It’s definitely grey, and beige, but it also has a lot of olive green thrown in the mix. It’s swampy and gorgeous. LOL. The shimmer is beautiful coppery-gold. Picture is 2 coats and there were no application issues.

Swing Baby – I know China Glaze calls this one a “taupe frost with silver micro glitter”, but IMO, this is a muted gold foil, and would fit in perfectly with Orly’s Foil FX collection. It’s a gold that actually works with my skin tone. The formula was a bit on the thinner side, but not hard to work with. Picture is 3 coats.

Goin’ My Way – is a warm, spicy, deep golden-brown frost with copper shimmer. The shimmer is not very pronounced in this polish, unlike a few others in this collection. While it’s not what I consider to be a typical frost nail polish, you will get brushstrokes with this one. They aren’t bad, however, and do work with the color and finish of this polish. This is another gorgeous fall/winter color. Picture is 2 coats and there were no application issues.

Hey Doll – For me, this is one of the more unique colors in the collection. The base is a brown-pink shimmer, and it is a bit frosty, so there will probably be brushstrokes, but like with Goin’ My Way, for this particular polish, it works. The base is beautiful, and incidentally, save for the shimmer, the same color as my bathroom shower curtain, and walls, but what makes this color so unique is the silver micro-shimmer flecks. You don’t even realize they are there in the bottle, but once you put the polish on, they are mesmerizing. The formula was a bit thin and yet thick all the same time, so I had to be sure to use 3 coats to reach opacity.

Bogie – is a grey-out, deep plum shimmer. Basically, if gunmetal grey and plum had a baby, it’d be this color. The finish on this one is very similar to Hey Doll. However, the micro shimmer, while pretty in shades of red, blue, and silver, is not nearly as pronounced as the micro shimmer in Hey Doll. This one had great application. It was almost opaque at one coat, though I had to do 2 to cover a few thin spots. BTW, for the names alone, if someone feels the need to do an Ingrid/Bogie konad, I think that would be totally awesome! I may just have to do that. LOL.

Riveter Rouge – After swatching about half of the collection, this color was a breath of fresh air. It’s definitely the brightest color in the collection, and if you are a lover of red shimmers, it’s a must. The red shimmer base leans slightly pink, but it’s most certainly a red. Like Hey Doll, it’s the micro shimmer that sets this one apart. It’s pink, gold, and silver. It’s a very sexy color, and I have a feeling my sister (who stole my Ruby Pumps) is going to be eyeing this one as well. I may have to hide it. LOL. While this is a fall collection, this is one that is wearable now. It would look amazing as a summer pedi color. I had no application issues. This one was perfect at 2 coats, though I applied 3 for some reason.

Foxy – is the second of the 2 reds in this collection, and while China Glaze describes it as burgundy, it seems more coppery to me than a traditional burgundy. The shimmer is gold and in some lights, I think I see green shimmer, too, though that could be my mind playing tricks on me. This color makes me want to jump into fall. I had no application issues. Picture is 2 coats.

Jitterbug –  Like Swing Baby, this one would fit in perfectly with the Orly Foil FXs. The color on this one is so unique. It’s a slightly-blue, gunmetal grey foil with silver shimmer. Also like Swing Baby, the formula was thin. I had to use 3 coats to reach opacity. The application was very smooth.

Midnight Mission – this is another one that I was very excited to try. And, the color did not disappoint. It’s a gorgeous, deep blue, glass-flecked shimmer. That said, as fantastic as the color was, the application was the most troublesome of all the polishes in the collection. The formula was very thick, so thin coats may be the way to go. You could also add some thinner to it. However, if you are a blue lover, don’t let the thickness of the formula dissuade you; while the formula is irksome, the color more than makes up for it. Picture is 2 coats.

Emerald Fitzgerald – is the green counterpart to BB Couture Blue Bahama’s blue. It’s a teal green shimmer, and as it’s labeled as a “frost” by China Glaze, there is a bit of brushstrokeyness to it. But again, it’s not much and it only adds to the finish of the polish. This one had a great formula. No issues and picture is 2 coats.

First Class Ticket – Don’t let my picture fool you. This is as blue IRL. Instead, it’s a gorgeous deep purple shimmer which could be included with the likes of Essie Viva La Vespa, Essie Sexy Divide, and the new BB Couture Huckleberry Martini. However, it’s the shimmer in this one that makes it unique. It’s a beautiful bright blue and definitely stands out in this polish. Again, it’s labeled as a frost, but there were no brushstrokes in this one. The formula was a bit on the thicker side, but nowhere near as thick as Midnight Mission. Application was fine and picture is 2 coats.



So it should come to no surprise to you when I say I love, love, love this collection. It’s a great combination of reds, neutrals, darks, and different finishes, and it is very invocative of fall. China Glaze really knocked out of the park, IMO. There were a couple of formulas that were iffy, Midnight Mission is the main one that comes to mind. Also several of these were labeled as “frost”, though they aren’t your traditional-make-everyone’s-hands-look-like-you-are-95 frosts, and any brushstrokes you get simply add to the finish of the polish. And while I have my favorites, Ingrid, Riveter Rouge, Jitterbug, and Midnight Mission (for color only), there isn’t a single one I wouldn’t recommend.

China Glaze Vintage Vixen is due to hit US retailers in July.

These were sent to me for review.

OPI Hong Kong Collection

I recently had the chance to review OPI's Spring 2010 Hong Kong collection.  I swatched these polishes while I was struggling with my new camera, so some of the shots are good and some are not so much.  I meant to re-do these, but I wanted to go on and post this collection while it was still relevent.  If anyone wants me to reswatch something so you can see it a little better, please ask.  I also swatched some on my rarely-seen right hand as I had a nail I was babying (it's since been chopped off). 

Hot & Spicy – Unlike most orange-based corals, this one actually worked with my skintone, and I rather like this one on, unlike say, ChG High Hopes. If you were like me and High Hopes didn’t work for you, check out Hot & Spicy. They are similar colors (hopefully comp pic to come soon), but Hot & Spicy is about 2 shades lighter, a little less bright, and a lot more compatible with pink-based skin. Pic is 3 coats and I didn’t have any application issues, other than a wonky brush.

Bling Dynasty – Gold is one of those impossible colors for me. I keep trying to find the perfect one, and I’ll think I’ve found it, only for it to not work with my skin, just like all the others. This one is a bit of an exception, because I do like it on me. This one is definitely more mustard than a straight-up metallic gold. It almost looks like they took the tone of grainy mustard, made it metallic, and threw in some pink and green shimmer. Even though I do like it, it’s not the most wearable of colors for me. I would probably be more apt to wear it in the winter. However, I think this would look amazing with a tan. Pic is 2 coats and there were no application issues.

Jade is the New Black – This is one of the 2 colors of this collection I owned prior to being sent this to review (with Suzi Says Feng Shui being the other). I loved it before and I love it now. It’s a medium-toned, green cream, which reminds me of Misa DSM’s darker, less dusty cousin. This is one of the stand-outs from this collection. Pic is 2 coats and I had no issues with application.

Suzi Says Feng Shui – Ah. If you have read my little blog for any length of time, you know that I love blue polishes, especially medium-toned blue crèmes, like this one. And this one has to be one of my favorites. In my collection, this one is very similar to another recent OPI, Ogre-the-Top Blue. However, this one is a bit darker and a bit dustier. Hopefully, I will get a comp pic for you soon. Pic is 2 coats and there were no issues.

Red My Fortune Cookie – What would an OPI collection be without a red? Like it or not, you have to admit if there is one thing OPI does well, it’s their reds. This one is no exception. In fact, it’s risen to be one of top reds in my collection. This one reminded me of about 3 different things. At first, I wanted to say that it’s a very retro red, and it is. But, due to the extremely glossy finish, it’s very reminiscent of red Chinese lacquer.  Pic is 3 coats and I had VNLs at 2.  No app issues.

A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find – Perhaps I’m overthinking the name, but Man-darin, to me, other than simply being a pun, would indicate an orange; more specifically, the color of mandarin oranges. This color technically is an orange, but it’s more of a red-orange. In fact, if you were to open up a box of 64 Crayolas and find orange-red it would look like this. I love the color. Normally, orange based reds (or red based oranges) look like crap on me. My skin is just too pale and they look too stark. However, this one is perfect. The finish, like Red My Fortune Cookie, is very glossy. Pic is 2 coats, and there were no app issues.

Dim Sum Plum – I know this kind of color has been making the rounds with the various manufacturers/collections, but for some reason, I don’t own any. In fact, the only color in my collection that I think would come close would maybe be OPI Miami Beet, but it’s much darker. There may be an untried from OPI Spain, but I can’t think of it off the top. DSP is a medium-toned, slight dusty berry/plum shade (though I think it’s more berry than plum). Either way, it’s beautiful, if a little non-original. Pic is 2 coats and again, no app issues.

Meet Me on the Star Ferry – I’m not sure how I feel about this color. It’s a slightly deepened, dusty plum metallic shimmer (I think this one is much more plummy than DSP). It has the same pink and green shimmer as Bling Dynasty. It’s a very pretty color, but for some reason, it wasn’t hitting any high notes with me. I think I’m going to have to wear it as a full mani before I can decide. 2 coats/no app issues.  UPDATE - I did wear this as a full mani after I wrote this but before I posted and I did like it better for a full mani.

Panda-monium Pink – This is another shade that’s becoming more and more popular right now among np manufacturers. Both ChG and CC have similar shades in recent collections. It’s a milky baby pink with that leans slightly lavender. It’s very pretty in the bottle and it looks nice on the nail, but the application was a pain. It took 3 coats to reach opacity and due to the streakiness, it was a little hard to deal with, but nothing unmanageable if you like the color.

Chop-Sticking to My Story – According to my husband, this was the best name of the bunch. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t excited about this color. In the bottle, it looked to be of the OPI and Apple Pie/Ginger Bells variety that looked like crap on almost everyone. But on the nail… it’s so pretty. Sure, it’s not very spring/summery, but it’s unique shade of nutmeg brown with a bit of red thrown in. I don’t know how much I’d wear it now, but I will certainly wear it in the fall. This one was opaque at one coat, though I did 2 and there were no issues.

Pearl of Wisdom – There is no better way to describe this one other than mother of pearl. It’s a pink/white duochrome with a slight green flash. It also has tons of multi-color micro-shimmer. It’s a beautiful color, but it’s extremely sheer and there is no way, other than wearing it over white, that it will reach opacity. Pic is 3 coats and I could have done more. No app issues.

Lucky Lucky Lavender – Though it doesn’t show in the picture, this one is definitely more mauve than lavender. It’s the darker version of Panda-monium Pink. Unlike PP this one had no application issues and was opaque in 2 coats.

All in all, I like this collection.  Jade is the New Black and Suzi Says Feng Shui are favorites, as was Hot & Spicy and Chop-sticking to my Story (total surprise).

I know OPI is becoming scarce at etailers, especially for discounted prices, but you can still find them at (until they are gone) at TD and on eBay.  Of course, you can also find them for retail prices at brick and mortar stores and online.

These were sent to me for review

Jessica Alba wears ChG Sacred Heart on the cover of Genlux Magazine

I just received this press release from China Glaze:

JESSICA ALBA WEARS CHINA GLAZE SCARED HEART FOR PHOTOSHOOT

Marsha Bialo Works Her Manicurist Magic For Genlux Magazine

(Los Angeles, CA) – June 2010: Celebrity manicurist Marsha Bialo recently gave the gorgeous Jessica Alba a manicure with China Glaze Sacred Heart for the cover of the summer 2010 issue of Genlux Magazine. The neon red polish which launched in 2008 as part of the Ink Collection, complimented Jessica’s olive skin tone perfectly!

Marsha and the stylist were working hard trying to find the perfect color that would represent a good transition of summer nail trends into fall. They finally agreed that China Glaze Scared Heart would be an excellent choice because of its neon base combined with the richness of red. Not one to give so quickly on the importance of a well-done manicure, Marsha was also campaigning for Jessica’s hands to be shown in the shot and succeeded! Not only are her hands prominently displayed though out the editorial, but they even made the front cover. Poised with her hands and fingers grazing her collar bone, the photo chosen for the cover came out absolutely perfect. A China Glaze beauty shot indeed!

--

Now, normally, I'm not one to give a hoot about what celeb is wearing what NP on which red carpet.  I love looking at their great or hideous fashion choices, but as for nails, it rarely registers with me.  Two notable exceptions... Katy Perry's neon yellow nails at the recent MTV VMAs and Kate Winslet's white nails at last year's Academy Awards.  Same goes for fashion mags... it doesn't really register (though I did love Samantha's nails in SATC2... the best thing about the movie.  LOL). 

However, when I got this press release regarding Jessica Alba's photo shoot for Genlux magazine, it made me take notice.  As I was reading the copy, I saw where her nails in the cover shot (and in the entire spread) were ChG Sacred Heart, which is a polish I've long had in my untrieds and never felt like swatching it or wearing it.  It just bored me in the bottle.  As I was swatching a few other colors tonight, I figured I'd go on and include Sacred Heart into the mix.

This is 3 coats of Sacred Heart.  Maybe it's all the True Blood and Twilight stuff going right now, but the first thing that popped in my head, was blood red.  In the bottle, it's a boring, flat red, but on the nail, it's a gorgeous color and is a perfect summer red.  It was a little troublesome in the application, as it was a bit streaky and hard to get uniform (you'll notice my middle finger is much darker than my other 3 fingers), but I suspect those problems would be minimized with a good basecoat.  Also, unlike Jessica Alba, I do not have olive skin.  My skin is very pale and pink based and I think this looked just a good with my skintone, so it's a very wearable red.

Sacred Heart is in ChG's regular line up and can be found at e-tailers and at Sally Beauty.

BB Couture for Nails Cantina Nights Collection

I recently received six of the polishes in this collection to swatch and review.  All of the colors in this collection are named after mixed drinks. 

Grasshopper - is a beautiful spring green shimmer.  The shimmer is green, yellow, and blue.  The formula was a little on the thin side, but this was opaque in three coats. 

Blue Bahama - is a deep green-blue shimmer.  This one of my top pics of the colors I reviewed.  It is a color of a blue zircon gemstone. 

Hangover Blues - is a pale dusty turquoise creme that, unlike the name suggests, leans more towards green than blue.  There is also a hidden shimmer in this polish that is absolutely beautiful.  I can't get enough of these dusty blue/green cremes. 

Adios Mo Fo - is a pale blue creme that has the same hidden shimmer as Hangover Blues.  I asked to review this color simply because of the name, but it turned out to be another of my favorites of the collection.  It is similar to Hangover Blues, but they are nowhere near dupey. 

Dirty Mother - is a color that confused me.  In pictures, it looked like a pale dirty pink creme, but it is so much more.  It's a little bit of grey, fawn, and pink all rolled into one.  Unlike the other cremes I reviewed, this one does not have the hidden shimmer, but that makes it no less beautiful.  It's a neutral, but definitely NOT boring.  It looks very similar to RBL Grunge (in pictures, I don't own Grunge to do a direct comparison).  In fact, after I swatched this collection, I chose this one to do a full mani.  I'm wearing it as a type this and I love it.

Huckleberry Martini - is a deep byzantium purple shimmer.  The shimmer is blue and pink.  There is a bit of a frostiness to this as well, but it works well with this color.  Like all deep purples, this one is much more rich, and less blue, than my pic would suggest.

Aside from Grasshopper, all of these were two coats, and that was a bit surprising to me, especially the pale colors.  I know I mentioned that several of these were in my top picks of the collection, but it all honesty, there wasn't a one of the six that I didn't like.  I can definitely see me wearing any of these as a full mani, and in the case of Dirty Mother, I already have. 

Also, I have to say that these have to be some of the best polishes, in terms of formula, that I've swatched in recent months.  I have several polish brands, RBL, Illamasqua to name two, that are often called "buttery", but these, for me, were better than both of those brands.  It's good stuff.  :)

All 12 colors in this collection are available now at both Overall Beauty and BB Couture's website.  The colors in this collection that I did not review are Cosmopolitan, Kamikaze, Pina Colada, Tequila Sunrise, Sex on the Beach, and Kiwi Margarita.  Check out Vampy Varnish for a few of the other colors.

These were sent to me for review

Another Fall Collection... Zoya Wicked and Wonderful

I know you all have probably seen this, but I was nosing around Zoya's blog today and found this entry about their upcoming fall collection. 

Here's a list of the colors:

Zoya Wicked Nail Color Collection


Edyta (ZP525) - fern green sparkling metallic

Julieanne (ZP526) - byzantium purple sparkling metallic

Cheryl (ZP527) - chocolate bronze sparkling metallic

Karina (ZP528) - garnet red sparkling metallic

Carrie Ann (ZP529) - venetian red sparkling metallic

Kym (ZP530) - cardinal mauve sparkling metallic


Zoya Wonderful Nail Color Collection

Kelly (ZP519) - paynes gray cream

Stacy (ZP520) - mahogany red cream (shown)

Burke (ZP521) - sienna red cream

Kristi (ZP522) - crimson red cream

Cola (ZP523) - desert sand red cream

Shawn (ZP524) - myrtle green cream
 
Stay tuned this official Zoya Nail Polish and Treatments Blog and http://www.zoya.com/ for a color preview coming soon. Zoya Wicked and Wonderful will be available July 1, 2010


As always, vegan friendly Zoya Nail Polish is formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate and camphor free (Big 3 Free Nail Polish).

 
I know many of you may be groaning at the thought of fall polishes, but seriously... as much as I hate summer, anything that has me looking forward to fall is fine by me.  LOL.  These colors sound beautiful and I love that the names are DWTS-themed.  I'd be interested in seeing the Wicked colors alongside ChG's new Vintage Vixen collection.  I can't wait to see them swatched.  I think I'm interested in, oh, all of them, at this point.  :P

Nicole Yellow It's Me w/ ChG Happy Go Lucky

Awhile back, I reviewed Nicole's new spring colors.  In my review of the collection, I mentioned that Yellow It's Me was both the most unique and yet most frustrating of the bunch.  It's an amazing yellow, but it also is still sheer after many (4-5) coats.  So, I decided to try it over ChG Happy Go Lucky.  HGL is a bright, vibrant yellow from the ChG spring 2010 Up & Away collection.  Here's Yellow It's Me by itself:

and here it is with Happy Go Lucky as a base:

You will probably need to enlarge this one to see the detail, and my index finger is probably the best example, but Happy Go Lucky is the perfect base for Yellow It's Me.  I tried it with white and that really wasn't a good fit.  However, with HGL, the sheerness is gone, but the beautiful orange and red shimmer shines through. 

Essie Resort Collection

These pics are a little old, as I had tons of stuff stored on my camera before all my free time seemed to slip away from me.

I had plans to pick up this entire collection from an e-tailer, but unfortunately, all the e-tailers raised their prices on Essie just before this collection was released, so I resorted to eBay, and picked up the mini set, rather than the full collection.  I figured it was more cost effective that way, as I'd probably never use up the minis, much less a full bottle.

Like the majority of the reviews I've read on this collection, my favorite was probably the one you'd least expect, but more on that in a minute... first the swatches.  As these pics are older, I honestly don't remember many thoughts on them, so I'll just show you the pics and then try my best to recap my thoughts at the end.

Playa del Platinum

Turquoise & Caicos

Splash of Grenadine

Lapis of Luxury

So my favorite of this collection, oddly enough, was Playa del Platinum.  It's a perfect putty color.  The most disappointing was Turquoise & Caicos.  I liked Lapis of Luxury and Splash of Grenadine well enough, but found the colors to be a little commonplace, especially in the case of SoG.  IIRC, the formula of these was iffy.  I think PdP was 3 coats, as was T&C, but SoG and LoL were 2 coats.  I think the best in terms of application was actually SoG. 

I like this collection okay, but I'm not sure if I'll be picking up any Essie collections in the future.  For some reason, I'm a little put off by the fact they sold out to L'Oreal.  I'm all for companies making money, but that just seems like U2 levels of selling out, IMO. 

NOTD: RBL 360

In anticipation of my new bottle of RBL No More War arriving sometime early this week, I decided to use one of my recently acquired RBL Surf colors, 360.

RBL's website describes this color as "...a gorgeous deep-water aqua blue polish", and I have to say that I agree.  However, it's so more than that.  It has a hazy, dirtiness to it, that just doesn't come through completely in pictures.  There is also a subtle shimmer that is mostly hidden unless you are looking for it.  I absolutely love this color.  It seems like there were a lot of teal-y blues out in recent months, but this one is totally set apart.  Although, there are a few issues with it, but they are just issues that I have with RBL in general, and not specifically with 360  While the formula is amazing, I find that RBLs are also very picky.  They do not play nice with Dermelect products, nor do they work with Out the Door TC, both of which are in my regular arsenal.  So, I have to use a sticky basecoat (I use a cheapy, Amour, from TD) and SH Insta-Dri TC, but I still sometimes have a problem with bubbling. It's not too evident in the pic above, but they are there.  That said, I deal with it because I love RBLs colors. 

BTW, in case you are wondering, here's an older pic of one of 360's companion polishes, Diddy Mow. 

Unfortunately, I don't have Bangin' to round out the collection (lately, I've become totally OCD about making sure I have complete collections, especially if they are small), but , if available, I do plan on picking that one up if Ji offers her 1/2 off sale again this November (she's said in the past on FB that it will be an annual sale on Black Friday).

Nail Recovery Update

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you would probably remember that back in November of last year (right around Thanksgiving), I took the plunge, removed my last set of glue-ons, and began the arduous task of growing back my natural nails.  One of the major players in my nail regrowth was Dermelect nail treatments.  I was sent a set back in November, but thought I would just start using other products after I ran out.  After taking several months off from using Dermelect, and trying to find cheaper substitutes, I have to say that nothing works quite as well for me and I had to admit cheap ass defeat and buy another set of the Nail Recovery System.

If you've been considering using Dermelect, but have been reluctant due to the cost, all I have to say is while it is expensive, it's also worth every.single.penny.  This is good stuff, people.  :P  I would definitely pick up the entire Nail Recovery System which includes the basecoat, the ridgefiller (both HG, IMO), as well as the TC (which isn't necessary, but it is nice).  It also includes Rejuvenail Fortifying Nail and Cuticle Treatment.  This was not included in my original set of samples from Dermelect, but it is amazing. 

Here's a pic of my natural nails now and just for reference, here are all of my "nail recovery" tagged posts where you can see plenty of pics of what I started with in November 2009 (fair warning... it's not pretty. LOL).

I've been back using Dermelect for a few weeks now and I can already tell a difference in my nails.  While my natural nails grow pretty fast, they also have a tendency to peel and chip.  With Dermelect, I have less of both of these problems.  In my "after" picture, I do have a cut in my middle fingernail (that I have patched w/ nail glue), but as far as peeling and chipping, those issues have almost gone away.  In fact, my nails are at a point where they are driving me a bit bonkers and I may have to trim them down in the near future.

Also, I think I'm back to you regular-scheduled blogging.  I've given up on the new camera, sad to say.  It's great for regular shots and zoomed shots, but it sucks at macros.  I will have a few posts using the new camera (as I have those saved up), but I'm back to ye old Cybershot.  So if you are looking for a new camera and one of your uses will be nail blogging, the Kodak Z915 is probably not a good fit.

RBL No More War and Scrangie Pre-Order

I just wanted to pass it along, in case you haven't heard, Ji is re-releasing both No More War and Scrangie.  This is response to clammoring fans, as well as eBay scalping  Keep in mind, however, these are limited edition and once the pre-order is over, I doubt if she's going to make them a part of the regular line-up, in any capacity.  The pre-order is going on now and according to the email, it will continue for 48 hours.  At one time, this re-release was to inclue Opaque Nude.  According to her Facebook posts, she nixed that and will be doing a re-issue of Opaque Nude, with a slightly different tone, at some point in the no-so-distant future.

So, if you've been kicking yourself for missing out on either color, now is the chance to pick them up.  Even though, I've been trying to watch my pennies lately, I went ahead and picked up NMW.  I'd been lemming it hard since the last 1/2 off sale, but thought I'd never get the chance.  But, unlike many other NP manufacturers, Ji actually listened to her fans and brought back 2 sought-after d/c'd colors.  It's been awhile since she announced the re-release and I'm still impressed.  Yes, the price-point of RBL is expensive for NP, but it's Ji's customer service that keeps me coming back.  If you aren't a fan of RBL on Facebook, you may want to check it out.

World Blood Donor Day

Hi all,

I apologize for having such a long gap in between nail polish posts.  Between school being out and getting a new camera that I have no clue how to use, I just can't find a few minutes to sit down and blog.  I can write posts, but it's the picture taking, editing, and posting is what takes forever.  And as my free time is in short supply right now, my blogging is suffering.  I hope to get restarted within the next few days.  As soon as I can figure out how to take good macro pics on my camera.  Ugh. 

Anyway, I have another non-nail-related post for you today, but it's no less important.  June 14th is World Blood Donor Day.  I received this press release in regards to this event:


ABOUT THE “GIVE” DONATION INITIATIVE:


Many Americans consider giving blood to be an important act of community service, however, less than 10 percent donate on an annual basis. Incredibly, if just one percent more donated–less than four million Americans–the nation’s blood shortages would disappear for the foreseeable future. To help close this gap, Nexcare Brand and America’s Blood Centers are partnering on the second annual give program, a nationwide blood donation initiative kicking off on World Blood Donor Day, Monday, June 14th, and extending through Sunday, June 20th.

With the support of hundreds of participating local blood centers, the give program inspires Americans with a message of hope, and helps them to spread the word by distributing limited-edition Nexcare Bandages marked with the word give.

World Blood Donor Day comes at an important time each year. As local blood centers face “summer shortages,” the nation’s blood supply comes under strain due to less donations because of increased vacation schedules and other seasonal distractions that tend to take place in the summer months. World Blood Donor Day reminds Americans to donate and enables them to help make a impact in reducing these shortages.

The 2010 give Bandages are inspired by both the patriotic act of giving blood as well as Flag Day, which will also be recognized on June 14, 2010. This collection of three Nexcare bandages are designed to represent the American flag signify the everyday hero in each American who commits to saving lives by donating blood.

Additionally, there’s a dedicated website, http://www.nexcaregive.com/, where visitors can share their story, get directions to our local blood center and register to receive coupons and a free sampling of bandages.

Did You Know? Facts About Blood Donation:

· One pint of blood can save up to three lives

· Every two seconds, someone needs blood

· Most Americans will require a blood transfusion at some point in their lives

· Less than 10% of Americans donate blood on an annual basis

· If one percent more Americans gave blood, all national blood shortages would disappear for the foreseeable future

· There is no substitute for human blood

· Donors can give whole blood up to six times a year
 
 
 
This press release reminded me that I've never actually given blood, though I cetainly have meant to at various points in my life.  Last year, my father was admitted to the hospital.  He was septic and ended up having to have his right leg amputated at the knee.  He's fine now, but during the month he was in the hospital, he had to receive blood at least a couple of times.  For this reason, as well as others, I feel compelled to donate.  Unfortunately, I will be unable to donate on June 14th, but I do plan on donating in the fall when my schedule clears up.  I hope this encourages you to go to your local center and donate, whether it be on June 14th of at another time.