30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Nina Ultra Pro Out of the Blue

Hi all!  Today is Day 10 in my "30 Days of Blues".  I'm going to keep things short and sweet today (are you saying "thank goodness" LOL) because I have to run a thousand errands this afternoon.

Anyway, today's blue is Nina Ultra Pro Out of the Blue...

I originally purchased this one several years ago because I read it was a dupe to Chanel's Blue Satin.  I had fallen in love with Blue Satin, but I refused to purchase it at $23.  That was back in the day when spending more than $10 on a polish was a completely foreign concept to me.  So, I had read that there were a few dupes of Blue Satin floating around and Out of the Blue was one of them.  I must say, in pictures, it looks quite similar, but that's said without doing a direct comparison.

I had worn this one a few years ago, but today when I put it on, it was much darker and murkier than I remember.  Unless you are in bright light, the shimmer is completely lost in the deep navy base.  This is why I added the gold and silver chains (using ChG Passion and Misa Got to Be Real, respectively, with the chains stamp from Bundle Monster plate BM12) and the little rhinestones.  I was trying to do anything I could to liven this up.  It's still a pretty color, but if you are looking for a navy shimmer, and not just a dupe to Chanel Blue Satin, there are better ones to be found.

Nina Ultra Pro is a discontinued polish, but if you are looking for a Blue Satin dupe, I hear that Rimmel has one (Midnight Blue).

Hope you all are enjoying my "30 Days of Blues" posts.  I greatly appreciate you reading them, as this is an issue that is so near and dear to me.  I'll be back tomorrow with another blue polish.  I swear... after this, I'm going to have to detox with boring pinks.  :P

Press Release: Misa Wishes

I just saw this on Misa's Twitter page, and I must say it sounds really promising...

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

When You Wish Upon a Star…You Get the Ethereal Shades in Misa Cosmetics’ Wishes Collection

January 2011 – Philadelphia, PA. From Harry Potter to vampire drama, no one can resist a little fantasy in life, an escape from the everyday. Usually, going from the doldrums of reality to fantastical imaginings on cloud nine takes a little effort, but Misa Cosmetics makes the flight exceptionally easier with the Wishes Collection, six pie-in-the-sky hues that evoke otherworldly beauty with delicate shimmer and alluring iridescence. Thanks to these gorgeous shades—all satin matte with sparkling effect finishes—you’ll be ready to believe in magic again!

Spring 2011: Wishes Collection

Never Say Never: All you have to do is believe—in this frosted ice-princess silvery white, that is—and your nails will transform as you never thought possible. Never say never; just enjoy the cool effect of painting your nails the color of falling snow in moonlight.

Pixie Princess: Fairies are known for their playful, mischievous demeanors, and you won’t find a shade more naughty-but-nice than this soft beige with the subtlest sheen of glitter. It’s no folklore—this delicate hue instantly gets your nails ready to soar above the earth.

Touch the Rainbow: Like a sky after a rainstorm, this baby blue suggests a sense of peace, tranquility and calm. And, just as a rainbow shows off its spectrum of colors, this shade offers an ever-changing opalescent sheen that takes nails to unbelievable heights. Forget the pot of gold; grab this lacquer instead.

Fountain of Youth: We’d all love the ability to renounce the effects of aging, but this shimmering pastel will never grow old on your nails. With a hint of the sheerest springtime green, this polish makes any look brand-new again. Drink in the color and indulge in lasting longevity.

Genie in This Bottle: Do you dream of genies? Once you unleash the fairytale wish-granter from his magic lamp, you’ll never experience life in the same way again. But as you contemplate your three wishes, you might want to make one of them a request for this glittering lilac—it’s one wish that will never backfire!

Whimsical Wish: Blow out the candles, wish upon a star or toss a penny in the fountain. Whatever your method of securing your greatest desires, ensure that your nails are eminently wish-worthy with this pearl shade shot through with pink iridescent undertones.

Not sure if you can see from the picture, these colors have a satin matte with a twist of sparkles finish

Images and release are from Misa's Facebook page.  

Press Release: Misa Spark My Interest - Winter 2010

All That Glitters Is Gold With Misa Cosmetics’ Spark My Interest Collection

September 2010 – Philadelphia, PA. Ladies, put some bling on it! Whether you’re hitting the clubs in South Beach or sipping martinis in a Manhattan high-rise, you’ll need nails that glimmer as bright as the surrounding lights. Misa Cosmetics’ latest collection, Spark My Interest, pays homage to the glitz and glamour of nightlife and romantic intrigue—because nighttime nails should never fade into the background. The six brilliant hues are saturated with shine, thanks to the thousands of glittering particles packed into each polish, guaranteeing that nails remain the center of attention all summer long.

Winter 2010: Spark My Interest

Date Nights to the Twilight: You may never know what to wear on date night, but this ebullient royal purple will lay the foundation for the perfect look, whether you choose a flirty mini or laid-back denim. Wow him with your glittering personality (and nails!), then party from twilight till morning light!

Red Pumps at the Nordstrom: Self-conscious? Never! Slipping into a pair of red stilettos is instantly empowering for any woman, and this ruby-red sparkle polish will stir up the same sense of instant sexiness and look-at-me self-assurance. Match your favorite siren-red Louboutins with this high-octane shade for confidence that won’t quit.

Spark My Heart, That’s a Start: A glimmer of interest is easy to notice—he can just follow the flashing of your fingernails as you take his hand and lead him to the dance floor. This coral-pink hue lets him know that your heart beats strong, but he still needs to work hard to keep you interested. A bold demand, sure, but this shade is for women who know what they want.

Pink Bling On My Ring: You can’t leave home without the right accessories! A girl’s gotta have jewelry, but this shocking hot-pink glitter hue will vigorously compete with the gemstones that decorate her fingers. Like bejeweled ornaments, nails will shine bright and accent any outfit just right.

Wink, Blink, Let’s Get a Drink: Skip the awkward getting-to-know-you phase and get right to the flirting! This glimmering deep fuchsia will let him know you’re interested from across a crowded room—and will have his eyes glued to you all night as you work your charm. It won’t be long before he leans in and asks, “Another round?”

Glitz, Glamour, Smile for the Camera: Let’s get candid: Nails will be continually camera-ready with a couple of coats of this sparkling playful plum. Picture-perfect nails are guaranteed as this polish’s glitter catches the light of the paparazzi’s flashes. Evoke the sophistication of Old Hollywood and say “glam” just before the shutter snaps!

--

Okay, so the promo pic really does nothing for me.  It's purple and then 5 other bottles in varying shades of red/pink.  However, my glitter-loving heart really hopes that the colors are more like the descriptions than the picture.

UPDATE 9/22/10 - I saw pics of these at Lacquerized and aside from 2 polishes, they kind of fall flat for me.  Sad.

Misa What I Like About You Collection (press release)

I just received the new press release from Misa Cosmetics for their Fall 2010 Collection, and I must say, the artwork and the colors are far more appealing than last year's collection.   Misa's back to doing what they do best, shimmers and (possibly) duochromes.  I'm already dying for Quirky Smile and It's You.  Plus, they mentioned Poisoned Passion which is easily my favorite Misa collection. 

Fall in Love This Fall With Misa Cosmetics’ What I Like About You Collection
July 19, 2010 – Philadelphia, PA. Sometimes it’s easy to know just what you want, but
you’ll immediately know what you need when you lay your eyes on the Misa Cosmetics
What I Like About You Collection, six new shades for fall that plumb the depths of
color intensity. You’ve explored the dark side of romance with the Poisoned Passion
Collection; now fall in love with the ecstasy that love can provide through these dare-
you-to-look-away glimmering hues. Just like a budding affair, these colors will spark
inexplicable emotions and near-obsessive thoughts. Go ahead—indulge your deepest
desires!

Fall 2010: What I Like About You Collection
Quirky Smile: Something about his lilted smile lets you know he’s interested…and
this shimmering Prussian blue is no less attention-grabbing. However, this rich shade
invites you into deeper territory—what’s lurking beneath? In this case, you’ll discover a
polish that evokes stormy skies and churning seas, a perfect metaphor for love’s mixed
emotions.

Like It Like That: You can’t avoid feeling upbeat when a relationship is going just right,
or when gazing at nails that are the perfect shade. Just try to block this candy apple
green out of your mind; when you like it like that, why deny yourself the pleasure?

Spinning Out of Control: Sometimes you just can’t control yourself—and you
wouldn’t have it any other way. Embrace that euphoric feeling with a brooding
cobalt blue-violet that says, “Don’t stop this merry-go-round; I’m enjoying the ride!”

It’s You!: Searching for the perfect mate is like searching for the perfect nail polish
shade: When you find it, you know right away. Like a perfect-match partner, this
multilayered iridescent hue offers the best of both worlds: a smoldering forest green shot
through with copper ribbons that glimmer and twinkle perfectly in candlelight.

Perfect Kiss: Don’t blush! When you recognize a good moment, grab what’s yours: the
perfect kiss. A well-planted smooch can provide material for days of daydreaming, and
this vibrant fuchsia is equally fantasy-inspiring. An eye-catching color like this one will
have any man’s lips quivering uncontrollably.

When U Say My Name: Chances are, your man has plenty to say, but nothing is sweeter
than when he whispers your name while in a sweet embrace. Blissfully sink into the
moment while donning this sultry rust, and don’t be afraid to demand, “Say it again!”


--
Again, and I know this is becoming a theme for me with the fall collections, but I can't wait for this one either.  Maybe it has to do with the time of the year, or the fact I'm sick of summer and ready for fall, or maybe it's just that the polish companies are knocking it out of the park this year, but there so many new collections that I can't wait to get my hands on.  This Misa collection is no exception.  It's You and Quirky Smile are at the top of my list, but I think I could get them all and be perfectly happy.  :)

Misa Dirty Sexy Money comps

In an effort to help some of you squash the lemming that is Misa DSM, I did a couple of comparision swatches.  Unfortunately, IMO, lemmings will failed to be killed with these pictures, but they are good for comparision's sake nonetheless.

First up... DSM and Orly Gumdrop. 

Gumdrop on index and ring, DSM on middle and pinky

In the bottle Gumdrop looks very similar to DSM, albeit a little lighter.  However, that does not translate to the nail.  While Gumdrop has the same dustyness as DSM, the colors are nowhere near close. 

So then I decided to try DSM with OPI Jade is the New Black.

JitNB on index and ring, DSM on middle and pinky

Unlike with Gumdrop, the colors themselves are closer, however, JitNB is deeper and more vibrant and doesn't have the dusty/dirty-ness of DSM.

If you are dying for DSM, and don't want to pay $13 for it on eBay, you can consider getting JitNB or Gumdrop, but I don't think it's going to fix the lemming.  Sadly, DSM is d/c'd and sold out most everywhere, though a quick search found it on eBay (as previously mentioned) and at Misa's website, though you have to create an account to see the price (though IIRC, it's $7).

Hopefully, this has helped someone a wee bit, though I doubt it.  LOL

NOTD: Misa Serene Rosewood

I've slowly been trying to work my way through my Misa collection.  I figured I should start with one brand and then move to another knock out a bunch of untrieds.  Ha.  Who am I kidding?  My untrieds will always outnumber my trieds.  It's just the way it works. 

But back to the matter at hand, I figured tonight, I'd try Misa Serene Rosewood.  This is a polish I picked up during a TD haul.  I have a bad habit of picking polishes I can't find on boards or nailgal just so I can try them out.  I have no clue what collection it's from, as it's been d/c'd. 

I'm having a hard time describing this color.  It's definitely a brown, but if I had to give an exact color, I would say a brown that leans pink, not red.  Pink.  Rosewood is the perfect way to describe it.  Also, I'm pretty sure it would be classified as a frost, but when I think of frost, I think of super frosty peach or pink, and it's not along those lines of frost.  I guess you could say it has a frosty sheen.  Dang.  I suck at describing.  Why do I even have a blog?  LOL.

As for application, there were no issues.  I've recently started using Amour Sticky Base Coat (available at TD and SUPER cheap) and I really like it, though I'm thinking it doesn't play all that nicely with Misa polishes.  I seem to be getting some bumping and bubbling with the Armour base coat/Misa polish/Out the Door combo.  I think the next time I use a Misa, I'll mix it up a bit.  BTW, this was 2 coats.

Hope you guys like this one and I'll (hopefully) see you tomorrow.  :)

NOTD: Misa Cherry Topping

Wow.  I just checked and this is my 200th post.  :)

Anyway, here's Cherry Topping

It's a medium tone, jelly-ish red.  It's darker IRL and IMO, it's what I wanted RBL Killa Red to be.  Application was pretty easy.  I had no issues with the formula at all.  In fact, it was one of the best I've tried in recent manis.  I just had to make sure it went on thin.  This is 2 coats, though 1-2 nails needed a thin third coat to even out some bald spots.  Cherry Topping is still available at TD.

Sorry for the super short index finger and the raggidy cuticles.  I trimmed down all my nails and of course, my index fingers on both hands peeled and now they are horribly short.  As for the cuticles.  The weather here is killing them.  I worked on them tonight, and I have cuticle oil on in the pic, so hopefully they don't look so bad.

As an aside, I have a feeling that growing out my natural nails was detrimental to my blogging.  Now that my natural nails look fairly decent, I find myself not needing to have polish on them.  I'm trying, but it's not like it was when I had to wear the glue-ons.  Plus, this business is taking up a great deal of my free time, so my blogging is suffering.  I'm hoping to find a happy balance in the near future

N/KOTD: Orly Goth (with Misa Got to be Real)

For the longest time (okay, maybe a couple of months.  LOL), I lemmed Dior Black Sequins.  The concept just seemed so awesome... black polish with silver glitter.  I saw it on Sephora over the holidays and then by the time I'd worked up the nerve to spend $20 on a polish, it was sold out.  I consoled myself by reading reviews stating that it was a bit underwhelming, but I still wanted the look.

Enter Orly Goth.  I'm almost certain Goth is in Orly's regular line up.  Or, if it's not, it's around enough in special collections (like Halloween and the current one at Sally's w/ Beyonce on the ad) that you can certainly pick it up.  Also, it's usually less than $5, especially from an e-tailer. 

.......drumroll.........

Swoon.  I swear, I want to marry this polish and have it's babies.  I love it that much.  In fact, I usually change my polish everyday or every other day, and I've had this one on since Saturday morning and honestly, it's not going anywhere for at least another day (I did add a konad, but more on that in a minute).  This was one regular coat and one thin coat to even out a couple thin spots.  The application was perfect.  The formula was great.  :) 

For anyone that was looking at Dior Black Sequins, you may want to seriously consider picking up Goth.  Sure, it's not HE, but it's truly amazing.  It's multi-sized, round, silver glitter suspended in a black jelly-ish polish.  It's not a true jelly as you can make it opaque pretty quickly, but it does have jelly qualities.  The best part?  The glitter does not get lost in the black polish.  There's also a uniform randomness to it.  I guess that sounds ridiculous, but unlike some other polishes *cough* Funky Chunky *cough*, you don't get a little bit of glitter here and a little bit of glitter there.  There are places that have more and places that have less, but your entire nail is convered with a smattering of silver glitter.  I know Essie SSN is supposed to mimic a night sky, but this one truly reminds me of the sky at night.  Pitch black with shimmers of silver.  Sigh.  I think this has got to be the sexiest polish I own.

Also, like I mentioned, I added a konad, as yesterday was Valentine's Day (happy belated Valentine's Day, btw).  I had shows all weekend, so I didn't get a chance to switch to red, so I did the best I could w/ Goth.  I think it turned out amazing, if I do say so myself.  :P

This is plate m73 and I used Misa Got to be Real for the silver.  I am totally in love with this mani.  Pardon the pun.  LOL. 

PS- Here's a bonus pic of my nails now.  I know a few people were interested in seeing them w/o polish.  I think it's been 12-13 weeks since I removed my glue-ons.  It's still going to take a little bit of time to totally un-do the damage, but I think they look pretty dang good.  :)

China Glaze Flyin High Comparisons

Last night, someone on the NB, asked for a comparison between ChG Flyin High and Custom Kicks.  Both Flyin High and Custom Kicks were hard to get true-to-life, but here's the pic I took, nonetheless. 

Even though, you can't see the true color of FH, you can definitely see that it's not dupish to CK.  They are cousins, but not twins.  Aside from the shimmer, CK is greener than FH. 

Believe it or not, to me, FH looks like a blue version of Misa Dirty Sexy Money.  Here's a comp pic. 

From left to right, this is Illamasqua Muse, ChG Flyin' High, Misa DSM, and ChG Aqua Baby.  You can see the dusty-ness of FH, even if you can't see the true color (which is a dusty, mid-to-light tone teal).  Behind Muse, it's my favorite teal.  Loves it.

A Couple Previous KOTDs, a Current NOTD and a Score!

I've been having some issues with my present nail/glue combo lasting for more than a day, so I have a couple KOTDs to show, both of which were removed before they'd even been on 24 hrs.

The first KOTD was achieved using Nina Pro In A Tiff, konad plate m64 and a combination of colors which included Misa Chocolate Icing, ChG Adore and Passion. I also matted it with Orly Matte Top. I swear I've become addicted to matting lately.

I loved this look on the nail, but once you saw the whole package with my hands and skin tone, it just looked odd. I was prepared to leave it on for a few days, but due to my aforementioned issues, it was lifting by that evening.

In A Tiff is a soft Tiffany-esque blue that is very similar to For Audrey. Unfortunately, there is too much light green in it for it work w/ my skin. Chocolate Icing is a rich metallic brown in the bottle, but on the nail, it looked like a brick red. Though, I bet w/ more coats, it would be bottle color. Adore is a metallic blue and Passion is a metallic gold.

Nina Pro is available at Sally's. Adore and Passion are from the Romantiques collection and though I have no idea what collection Chocolate Icing is from, it is available at TD. In a Tiff applied okay. This is 2 coats. It was a little thin, so it was a tad difficult to control.

This second KOTD is OPI Music Hall Curtain Call with plate m20 and ChG Passion, Cherish, and Poetic (I think... for some reason, my brain is shot today). I also used Matte Top.

Yes, another "falling leaves" konad. I loved the first one so much that I had to try it with another color combination and I may have to try it yet again, so if you get tired of the leaves, I apologize in advance. I loved this one as well, and MHCC actually worked with my skin because there is so much pink in it. Unfortunately, it was lifting up as well, so I had to remove it. I also had other issues (with both of these, in fact... but more on that in a bit).

MHCC is from OPI's Holiday 2006 Rockettes collection. It's a gorgeous pink-copper-orange-gold metallic. It kind of reminds me of Man of La Mancha, if MoLM had been a foil-ly metallic and not a duochrome. Shiny, it's a hard color to describe, but matted, it becomes a rusty orange with tons of pink undertones. That's why it worked with my skin. I have 4 from this collection and each one is a amazing. I got mine on eBay for ~$7, and I think at this point, it's only available at eBay or in a dusty. This is 2 coats.

Lastly, 2 of my local Krogers are closing to consolidate into one big Kroger. I'm a little miffed about them closing my favorite Kroger, but since they are marking down all cosmetics to clear them out, I'd dealing. Last night, my sister and I happened to go to the other Kroger that is closing (I've already shopped the one near me 3-4x). And lo and behold, they had an OPI Espana display on the top shelf. WHA??? They were marked down to $3.99. There were only 4 left, but I snatched them up. Then some older woman proceeded to stalk me for 10 minutes seeing if I'd put them up. No way, lady... these were mine. I got Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow, Suzi Skiies the Pyrenees, No Spain No Gain, and Pamploma Purple (my current NOTD). I was so excited I couldn't pass them up, despite my no buy.

Finally, here's a pic of Pamploma Purple. No flash, so you can get a true color representation.

I apologize for the glue around my cuticles. I've since cleaned it off. As for the color, It's an amazing plum-my purple with very fine and sparse purple shimmer. In fact, you'd think this was a creme until you got right on it and held your hand at just the right angle. The shimmer is not noticeable in the bottle. This is 2 coats and it applied like a dream. However, I did have an issue with it bubbling on 2 nails on my right hand.

Also, as I mentioned this earlier in this post, I wanted to tell you all of an issue I'm having with Orly Matte Top. Lately, it's taking forever to dry and it's making the polish very soft in the process, so I'm getting tons of dings. I think the problem is that I'm applying it over set, but not fully cured nail polish. I don't have this problem when I apply it over NP that is 1-2 days old.

Not sure if I'll be around much this w/e as I'm planning on finishing the murals in my kids' rooms. Hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend.

Previous NOTD: Misa A Sin Worth Committing w/ ChG Awaken

I had to sing a solo yesterday at church, something that makes me very nervous. So I decided to take off Atlantis Saturday morning and put something on that made me feel confident. I had a bit of a fiasco with OPI If the Fuchsia Fits, so I had to completely soak off my new set of nails and reapply another set. That's why my cuticles look ragged in this pic.

A Sin Worth Committing is from Misa's Fall/Winter 2008 Poisoned Passion Collection. It's a brilliant dark blue shimmer, but it's not navy. It was opaque in one coat, but I did 2 just to make sure. I decided to apply ChG Awaken using plate m64. Awaken is a lighter charcoal grey shimmer. ASWC is still available at TD, and so is Awaken for that matter, but I got mine from VNS.

I did like this mani, and it did make me feel confident, but it looked so similar to a Maybelline Twinkle, Twinkle/Misa Got to be Real mani that I did a month or so ago, that I didn't keep it on long. I soaked it off last night. It didn't help that one of my nails never fully dried, and was still dentable last night, 24 hrs after application. Thus, I had a big knick in the nail.

Right now, I'm wearing OPI Who Needs a Prince? topped with some "nail jewelry" decals I got on eBay from HK. I plan on doing a post on these later tonight.

Hope everyone in the states is having a safe and happy Labor Day and if you aren't in the US, I hope you are just as safe and happy. :)

KOTD: Orly Plum Pudding with Misa Got to be Real...

though if I think I was going to subtitle this one, it would be called "the evolution of a mani".

Plum Pudding is one of the colors I ordered and actually received from LBBS on eBay. I mistakenly stated earlier that it looked like a purple version of SSN. It's nothing like a purple version of SSN, except for the fact it has silver glitter. So, my bad. Nonetheless, it's still a pretty color. Not as amazing as I thought it would be when I saw it in the bottle, but still pretty. Here's a pic I took of this color by itself:

It definitely is a plum color, not a true purple. It looks like jam on the nails. Glittery jam. It has silver and purple square shaped glitter, but there's more in the bottle than on the nail. It also has a slight frost to the finish, which by itself was not flattering on my hands. It's also a tad brushstrokey, but that's just because of the frost and it wasn't too much to overcome. I have no idea what collection it is from as it's an old bottle/formula Orly and was most likely d/c'd either late '90's/early 2000's. Ah. I forgot how old formula Orlys smelled. Chemically goodness. If you are interested in Plum Pudding, you can get it on eBay, but proceed with a tad bit of caution. Seller states they have 10 in stock, but as I found out with Tourmaline, that's not always the case. You may want to contact them in advance to check, or you can just order it and then if it's OOS, they'll give you a refund. I can't 100% recommend them, though.

Like I said earlier, I didn't like this on my hands because of the frost, so I decided to add a konad design. I chose plate m71, which has given me problems in the past, but none this time around. I used Misa Got to be Real, which IMO, is the perfect silver polish and is fantastic for konadding. It never disappoints. I got mine at TD. Here's a pic with the konad:

While I liked this konad design, I felt it needed something else. So last night, I added a french tip in Misa Got to be Real.

This is what I'm wearing now. I really like it, but I'm already itching to try something else. I blame it on my nail polish ADD. Hope you guys like it.

Happy 4th of July...

well at least what's left of it. Here on the East Coast, we have 17 minutes as I started writing this post.

First off, I apologize for not updating in almost a week. I kept telling myself I needed to post an update and then I'd get bogged down in something and forget.

As today is the 4th of July, I do have an Independence Day mani to post.

This is Essie Marshmallow base with Essie Aruba Blue fireworks, Misa Got to be Real stars and a very shaky Essie Hot-E french. I am sorry for the state of my cuticles in this picture. The are pretty raggedy-ass and if I didn't want to show you the cute mani and the improvement in my konadding skills, I wouldn't post it. A lot of it has to do with glue on my cuticles, but my fingers are also pretty dry and my cuticles have a tendency to peel when that happens. I applied a shitload of Mango Mend after I removed this and my cuticles do look much better. Not great, but better. Unfortunately, with glue-ons cuticles can never look flawless, at least not with my application skills.

BTW, as you probably noticed, I said that I removed the above mani. I was pretty bummed about it, too. I'd used Bondini glue, hoping I would get more wear from it than other nail glues. I know my mom says that's what her former nail tech would use to apply tips. Anyway, perhaps it was the chlorine from my IL's pool last night, or perhaps the Bondini is just shit, but either way, it didn't last for much more than 24 hours. My first multi-colored konad, too. BooHiss.

So, last night, instead of cleaning house, I had to reapply my nails, as I was not going to have the time today. I put on an untried, BB Couture for Nails Fairy Blood. This color is so pretty and it really reminds me of ChG Ruby Pumps, though with less glitter. I don't own Ruby Pumps, but I did at one point, my sister swiped it and I never saw it again. Again, BooHiss.

Here's Fairy Blood with a brand-new, 2 hours old konad. Plate m35 with Misa Got to be Real. Coincidentally, it's the fairy plate. Funny. I didn't plan that.

As you see, and yes, I am saying this to redeem myself, but my cuticles look much better. :)

Also, you may notice, that my konadding skills seem to be getting better. As I mentioned in a response to HardyMem below, my biggest problem now is consistency with design placement. I learned a lot from a tutorial by Siobhan on the MUA NB. Most importantly, I feel, I learned to roll the design on to the stamp rather than just pressing. You get it on there perfectly everytime this way. Once I get design placement down, I'll be good to go... I hope. LOL.

Finally figured out Konad (pretty much).

I got bored w/ my INRAW mani pretty quickly, but I've been so busy, I didn't have time to change my nails. Plus, my cuticles are a little ragged from the acetone, so I wanted to give them a break. So, after looking at my nail art decals and finding nothing I wanted to use, I decided to break out the Konad. Here's a pic:

INRAW looks really vibrant in that picture, it's not as tomatoey in real life, but we all know what INRAW looks like. LOL. Anway, I used Misa Got to be Real and Konad Plate No. 2. I also freehanded a french in Misa GtbR. Considering this was my first time having decent success w/ Konad and my first time ever freehanding a french successfully, I think it turned out okay. It's been about 3 hrs and it's still dentable, so hopefully, it will cure okay. I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow and I have a funeral to go to tomorrow evening, so I won't have time tomorrow to redo this. Please don't look like crap. Please. Perhaps not so appropriate for a funeral, but like I said... no time to change.

NOTD: Silver and Gold Skittles and Updates

Right Hand

Left Hand

So I was super bored so I figured I'd give this a shot. Gold is Essie Shift Power and Silver is Misa Got to be Real. I like it, I just don't think I love it. I'll probably leave it on for 2 days and take it off. However, I do like both GtbR and SP on their own and I think they play nice together. Shift Power was a little brushstrokey and it was harder to work with than GtbR (which looks more like a brushed silver than a shiny silver). I just don't know if this suits me. I look at it one minute and I like and I look at it another minute and I'm meh about it. I'm sure tomorrow when my sister comes over to pick up my nephew, who is spending the night, she'll be all "WTF did you do to your nails". LOL.

Like I (kinda) mentioned above, I'm trying a new strategy of leaving the glue-ons on for 2 days and then I give my natural nails the next night off. I apply ProStrong, Sally Hansen Nail Nutrition, and Sally Hansen Diamond Nail Hardener as well as lots of cuticle cream while I have the glue-ons off. It seems to be working. I am getting quite a bit of new growth and I'm hoping I can put polish on my natural nails in the not-so-distant future. I've also switched my nail glue to Kiss Pink Gel. It's much easier to use and it doesn't hold as long as other glues. Which you would think would be a reason not to use it, but considering I've shortened the time between application and removal, I'm cool with it not being as resilient. Also, I'm having a lot of breakage and bending on my thumb nails. I've tried 0s and 1s and it doesn't matter, they both have a tendency to bend or break on the sides. I'm using Nailene and while I think I prefer them in general, I think I may try using Kiss on my thumbs. They seem to be a bit sturdier, if they do look less natural.

Lastly, I have a picture (finally) of Lippman Purple Rain. As you can see, there are a 1000 things wrong w/ it, but, for me, the color wins me over. It's so pretty.

This was taken at night, in my kitchen (my office, LOL), because I was taking them off that night and I wanted to make sure I took a picture.

NOTD: Misa Carmine Treasure

Um... why did I wait this long to try Misa? Seriously, it's awesome. And I'm only basing that on my swatching last night and my NOTD today. The formula is amazing. Super smooth and highly pigmented. Also, it's cheaper than OPI and Essie at e-tailers and the bottles are great. The remind me of the Lippmann bottles, but they aren't as squatty and the brush handles are longer (read better).

As for Carmine Treasure, I mainly chose this as my NOTD because there are no swatches of it anywhere. I love it though, it's such a pretty pink. It's bright pink, a little on the warmer side, with gold shimmer. This was fine with 1 coat, but I did 2 just because I can't help myself. It was $2.99 at TD. I bought 7 of them. :S

Also, quick update on Blind Love, as I only had it on 2 days and had to re-do my glue-ons to change polish. The wear was fine, I just got bored w/ the color. It was gorgeous, but like I thought earlier, it didn't work with my skintone.