These are the colors that I kept reaching for, and just fell in love with this year:

1. Orly Oui - Can I talk about this one enough? Nope, never!!! This one will have a special place in my collection. It's from the 2011 Holiday Soreé collection from Orly.

2. OPI Mermaid's Tears - I was on a hunt for this one for a while. I am so glad I found it! Thank you Disney ♥

3. OPI Planks A Lot - I don't know if I like it more as a toe color, or a hand color. Either way, I am in love with this shade of purple.

4. Essie Nice is Nice - I wore this after my honey moon, and on my toes during school. It made me so happy, it's such a beautiful purple.

5. Essie Too Too Hot - My go to summer color. This color was part of their 2011 summer collection. I will deffinately be wearing this next summer.

I'm thinking that next year I will be doing a Top 10 for 2012. I wont be doing a top 5 for December. Another idea I had: Top 5 for the seasons. I think that will be a lot better than doing it monthly.

Good bye 2011, you have been a great year, and I hope 2012 will be just as good if not better. Happy New Year.

NOTD: OPI Brisbane Bronze

I feel like I could have gotten away with one coat, but the second darkens the color, and makes it look more complete. I feel like colors like this require a shorter nail, so I trimmed mine down prior to applying this.I

This color was not streaky, opaqueness is fantastic, and it's super easy to apply, and clean up.

China Glaze Poetic

 

I am in love with this formula! I bought this at Ulta, and I fell in love with it's copper-y feel. It's a one coater with absolutely no need for a second one. It's opaqueness is the best I've seen yet, and I didn't even notice a difference when I did add a second coat. Easy application, super pretty color.

China Glaze - Twinkle Lights

I took these pictures, and added the name to it a little less than a week ago. Well, here is China Glaze Twinkle Lights on top of Essie Marshmallow

These are one thick coat of this bad boy. It is so pretty!!!! I love Twinkle Lights, it's Christmas in a bottle.

Just a little something to brighten your day =)

Zoya Minka

I finally got Zoya nail polishes!!!! I was so excited. I wasn't supposed to get any nail polish, but Ulta was having a China Glaze was having a buy 2 get one free, and I had a $5 off coupon. I couldn't resist!!

Minka has a creamy finish. Zoya describes it as a "Creamy Metallic", but I see it as a pearly finish rather than a metallic. It's a beautiful neutral/nude finish. I don't notice the pearly finish on my nails until I looked at it in natural light. It's really not as noticeable on my nails as it was in the bottle, which is a bit disappointing.

Overall, Minka applied quite easily. It was a bit streaky for the first coat, but it became completely opaque after the second one.

Ramble Ramble

I went to Ulta today, looking for nail polish, of course. I was very naughty today.. I'm on a ban. I just can't help it!!! I had a $5 off coupon, and China Glaze was buy 2 get 1 free. I can't pass it up!!! I was looking around for Butter London. I couldn't find it for the life of me. No idea where it was hiding. I look at one of the displays, and guess what I see:

OPI Pirates of the Caribbean collection.

Ugh. Seriously? I go to Disney to get some of these colors, and NOW Ulta has them in stock. Buttheads. Refer to these posts for my frustration explained: Me and Me.

Anywho, I keep looking, and looking. and OMG I FOUND ZOYA!!!!!!!!! I said "forget you Butter London", and picked up Minka and Stacy. I am so excited. I think I will apply Minka tomorrow. Or tonight, I'm not sure.

I also saw these, in an attempt to put them back in the right slot:

Yeah..... needless to say they confused me.


So, when we go to Bed Bath & Beyond I poke around the nail polish section. This is why I do not, and probably will never own Essie Bangle Jangle:

The one on the far left is the one I shook. Ugh. No way the formula is good.



At the end of the day, I left with 5 nail polishes, all from Ulta:

China Glaze: Poetic, Mistletoe Me!, and Sex On The Beach.
Zoya: Minka and Stacy.

I plan on doing a NOTD with all of these, but MM and SOTB will have to wait till after Christmas. I've given them to my mom to put in my stocking for Christmas. Makes my naughtiness seem a little better. Right?

Frenchie-Oui

I love Oui, if that wasn't obvious. I decided to make it into a french manicure!! I've been doing a frenchie for the past few days, and unfortunately I want a solid, plain color. I'm thinking about Chinchilly. It's such a nice grey.

OMG I am falling in love with Zoya colors. The only thing keeping me from ordering these nail polishes (aside for my ban) is that I HATE HATE HATE paying for shipping. I've always been like that. Whenever I would need another order from Clinique, I would wait for them to send me an e-mail saying that they had free shipping for the next few days. I think I'm going to save up, and buy a bunch of Zoya in bulk. I may wait and see if they do the same thing as they did last year for Earth Day. Idk, I just want a lot from them, and I want it to be worth it, with the whole shipping thing and all.

Do you like the Mickey ornament? I wanted a prop, and my mom just put this one on the tree. It's so cute! Here's another of my manicure:

So, until next time, Toodles!!

China Glaze Hunger Games update

Ugh. I am so over hearing about this drama. It's turned me off of the collection, and I really don't want any other colors. Lionsgate has announced the collection, and the press release information can be seen here: Clicky. Anywho, here are the official colors:

Photo Credit: The Hob

The line is called "Colours From the Capiton". Here are the names (again, via The Hob):

Luxe and Lush – District 1 (Luxury)
Stone Cold – District 2 (Masonry)
Riveting – District 3 (Technology)
Hook and Line – District 4 (Fishing)
Electrify – District 5 (Power)
Fast Track – District 6 (Transportation)
Mahogany Magic – District 7 (Lumber)
Dress Me Up – District 8 (Textiles)
Harvest Moon – District 9 (Grain)
Foie Gras – District 10 (Livestock)
Agro – District 11 (Agriculture)
Smoke and Ashes – District 12 (Mining)

Yup yup... That's it.

I am so bad with titles

Such boring posts lately. No thought, or passion in them what so ever. What happened to me? Geeze... I decided to lift my spirits and wear 100% OPI Pirates of the Caribbean collection. <--- my go to movies, and nail polish. PERSONAL INFO ALERT!!! I used to be OBSESSED with these movies. I have all of the first 3 movie posters (kind of working on number 4), I also have the music from the first 3 (also kind of working on number 4). It was my favorite movie trilogy all through middle and high school. I can probably recite the first 3-5 minutes of the Keira Knightley and Jack Davenport commentary from the first movie. No lie, I was that crazy. Guess what I spent one summer doing? Watching that movie, it's commentaries, the version with the story boards, and with the script ever day! Yeah, nutso over here.

So, to lighten my mood from the stress of finals and life, I decided to do this:

My slanted tip in Silver Shatter on top of Mermaid's Tears. On my toes is Sparrow Me The Drama, which has been on for about 2 weeks not.

I love these colors, the whole collection just speaks to my teen years, as you can clearly tell from the paragraph above. Yup, I didn't feel like cropping or adding a water mark. Lazy? Yes. Should I be studying for my Philosophy final? Yes. It is what it is, and this blog post is the result of it. So lovely right? This little blog is better off than my rabbit one. I have a litter of one week olds and I haven't even posted pictures there!!!! You guys at least get some sort of post.

With that being said, expect some uber cute baby pictures in 2 weeks, that's when they're at the cute age ♥

Toodles!!!

Orly Oui - FINALLY!

Ugh. Right after I put it on and took pictures I took it off. Oh geeze I am straaange...

First I want to share this picture that I took yesterday:

No macro lens used haha. Ugh. I'm going crazy! Yes, while most of America is covered with snow, I have flowers and bees. That's Florida for you.

Now on to the Orly pictures!

 

So pretty pretty.  I feel weird saying this nail polish "Can you get 'we' for me?". I think I want to wear 'we' today". Sounds so weird!!!!!

Now, off to study for one final exam for this semester. So close to being done!!! Only one more class and freedom to enjoy winter break. Toodles!!!

NOTD - Festivities

I really really like how clean my nails look, if that wasn't obvious. Here is is:

I used all China Glaze (with the exception of my usual french manicure under colors). From the Let It Snow collection: Holly-Day, Poinsettia, and Champagne Bubbles.

Top 5: November

You know how the makeup girls on Youtube do monthy favorites? Well, I'm going to do something similar!!! Here are my top 5 nail polishes for November, something I kept reaching for, and kept wearing.

1. Orly Oui - I can't tell you how often I put this thing on. Still haven't taken a picture though.. Oops!
2. Essie Chinchilly - Love the name, love the color!
3. OPI Mermaid's Tears - Such a pain to find, but worth it!
4. OPI Planks A Lot - Love it as a toe color!
5. Seche Vite - It's my favorite top coat at the moment.

Toodles!

NOTD - A whole lot of nail polish

I redid the french tip on Wednesday. I just couldn't stand how my ring finger looked, I had to shape it, and redo the french tip. I decided to pair China Glaze Twinkle Lights on the tip. Turned out quite nice.

I used the same nail polish, and order as in this post: Clicky

NOTD: It's a classic

While on my quest to try out Orly's different versions of the french manicure, I decided to stick with the classics today.

Here are the products I used, in the order I used them:

Base coat: Beauty Secrets Base Coat (been using this for awhile. Have to say, it's a really good base coat)
Base color: Essie Adore-A-Ball - To whiten my nails, I used a very sheer coat of this bad boy
Tip color: 2 coats of Orly French Tip Pointe Blanche
Top color: Essie Sugar Daddy - very sheer coat
Top coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

I really like this combination for a french tip. Adore-A-Ball really whitened my nail, and made it look really clean, and prefect. I free hand the manicure, I find it more fun doing it this way. I wish I shaped my ring finger first though. It always seems to grow a weird shape.

Ok, this will be on my nails for a few days, I worked too hard on it to let it go! Till next time, toodles!

So sad =(

I made a deal with my husband that I wouldn't buy any more nail polish until January. Why did I do that!!!!!!! Ugh. I'm holding out for Christmas, I made a list of what I want, so hopefully I get at least one, even a mini, to satisfy me.

I did this mainly so I wouldn't buy something that someone else has already bought for me. I don't like have 2 of something, it's pointless. Even the same color in different brands. No point. SO, I put myself on a buying freeze.

So so sad.

Mod Style Manicure

I got this idea from Orly's diagonal french manicure.

I took a stab at this, and tried out several color combinations before I actually went for the style. It's a really simple process. First, I applied a base coat, let that dry for 10 minutes. Then I applied two coats my base color, allowing 10 minutes after each coat. I actually went out for a few hours, and this allowed my nails to dry fully before tackling the second color with tape. It's extremely important to let that base color to sit for a while, and dry completely. If not, the tape will stick to that base color, and rip it right off.


Once your comfortable with the dry time, line up your strip of scotch tape, at whatever angle you want, with how ever much space you choose. Then, make sure the tape is completely on the nail, with no bubbles in the tape. I had issues with the bottom corner of the tape. It's easier if you line the bottom corner of the tape, with the bottom corner of the nail (I hope that makes sense).

When you're ready, go ahead and apply the top color. Try not to let the color sit too long before applying. If you do, they will bond with the tape, making the rest of the tip peel. It's best to peel off the tape right after you're done applying the tip color. This shouldn't mess up the color.

When your done, let it dry for a bit, and apply a base coat. You should end up with a design similar to this:

I paired OPI's Skull and Glossbones as my base color with OPI's I Vant To Be A-Lone Star as my tip color.

Toodles!!!

PS, remember when I said I would take a picture of Orly Oui before I took it off? Yeah... that didn't happen. I'll apply it again, and post pictures then. It's so pretty though!!!

Trip to Sally's

I talked my husband into making a trip to Sally Beauty Supply. I needed a new base coat, my Essie one was on it's last leg, and it was at that gummy stage. Time for a new bottle!!! I had my eyes on that huge bottle of Beauty Secrets base coat. 2.5 fl oz for $6? Yup, I'll take it. I hope it's actually good. I will say that the brush has the potential to intimidate some.

Seche Vite on the left, Beauty Secrets on the right.

I didn't have an issue using it, but those who are unsure of using their none dominant hand will have issues with it, for sure.

I also bought 5 nail polishes there, all (but one) from the different Christmas/winter collections:

China Glaze Let It Snow collection:

$7.99 for the box

Here is what was in the box:

China Glaze Poinsettia

China Glaze Twinkle Lights (Christmas in a bottle!!)

China Glaze Holly-Day

China Glaze Champagne Bubbles (not sure why it's crooked)

Orly Holiday Soireé collection:

Orly Oui

It even came with a little nail file!!! So cute. I'm applying this one today, so expect a review tomorrow.




This one is an oldy, but goody:

China Glaze Peachy Keen (2010 Up & Away collection)

OPI Ink.

I was poking around in Publix (southern grocery store), and I found some OPI nail polish. I normally don't look closely at the regular line. I'm usually more drawn to the collections, for some odd reason. I picked up OPI Ink., and I loved the different colors in it. I bought that, and Essie Cute as a Button (which is on my toes) (at Target, they're in the same plaza here). It's my first coral since starting over! Other than Too Too Hot, and Meet Me At Sunset, which I don't consider corals for some reason.

So, today I'm wearing OPI Ink. Not a shocker, considering it's in the title.

Easy application, it's opaque, just a really really great color. Not to mention the price was to die for: $7.89!!!! It's normally $8.50. So much cheaper!!!!

I also went to Disney again on Saturday, and I picked up OPI Sparrow Me The Drama. If you're interested, they have Silver Shatter, Planks A Lot, Sparrow Me The Drama, and Mermaid's Tears from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection. So far I am only missing Stranger Tides, and I'm keeping my eyes open for it. I would like to have the whole collection, but Stranger Tides is my least favorite.

Manacure Tip #1

Use the restroom BEFORE you (or the manicurist) applies the nail polish. Very important. I'm sure you can guess why.

OPI Mermaid's Tears

This was probably the easiest application I've dealt with in a while.

There really isn't much to say about this nail polish that I didn't say in yesterdays.

I really really like it =)

I do want to say that I can't wait until I get a macro converter for my camera. I let it slip I wanted one to the in-laws, and now they're getting one for me for Christmas. No lie, I was just talking about the camera, and said I wish I had the macro converter, they looked it up, and wrote it down. I am happy, but so impatient!!!

There are some changes to the blog, new background (like that's a surprise), new pages to explain stuff, and so on.

Ok, toodles!!!

OPI - Mermaid's Tears: Check!

Oh my goshness, finding this nail polish has been one heck of an annoying ride. I have only seen the Pirates of the Caribbean, I kid you not, twice in my life. The first time was in Ulta, it was the same time I was on a hunt for Mint Candy Apple (found it at Ulta), and there was the collection, but no Mermaid's Tears. That was the last time I saw it at Ulta. So, I look online, Ulta.com, and I got this message:

What the freaking crap!!!! So I look further and further, Target used to have them online, no more. I look at the beauty supply stores online, and nothing. Did OPI stop allowing companies to sell them online? I don't know... I think they got snobbish, but oh well.

In one of my previous posts I said that I got Skull & Glossbones, Planks A Lot, and Steady As She Rose (part of the POTC collection) in Indiana, at Trade Secret. Why did I not get Mermaid's Tears? Because it wasn't there, and there wasn't even a slot for them. So, unhappy me has yet to see this color in person, let alone find it to buy.

On Friday we go to Disney. We start off in EPCOT, and then head to Magic Kingdom, and after eating at Pecos Bill, I took a left (cause everyone knows their way around the park *rolls eyes at self*) and led my hubby to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. When it was done, there's this area which has a lot of POTC merchandise, and I keep an eye out for the collection... you never know!! No nail polish. We keep on walking, go on a few rides, blah blah blah, and we go into a few stores after riding the train back to Mainstreet USA. We skipped them when we first got into the park, I wanted food. So,we went into one of the shops in the middle (do they even have names? I never paid attention). I look at the purses, shocked at the prices, then realize it's Dooney & Bourke. I look more at the jewelry, and I just froze.

You see it right? In the upper right hand corner?????? EEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I bought it, I wont even draw out the buying process, and explain it in detail. The price wasn't even jacked up, it was the normal $8.50. Yay Disney!!!!

 Right now, I am applying Mermaid's Tears, and my first impression is that it applies perfectly, it's opaque as all get out, and I am even more in love than I was when I saw it online!!! ♥ I will probably post pictures later when I'm done.

On my nails in the reflection of the picture is OPI What's With the Cattitude? I meant to post pictures of it before I took it off, but it looked green in the picture, and that is not how it is at all, it's a true blue color.

Gosh... I can't even going to Disney without buying nail polish.... =) Toodles!!!

Memory lane via nail polish

If someone where to ever fall in love with a nail polish, it would be me. I'm not one to go towards the higher brands, I admit, I am picky when it comes to nail polish. There are several brands I'll go to, but most of the drugstore I wont touch if I was paid (ok, maybe a little poke). Call me a nail polish snob if you will, but I do have my limits.

I was reading a blog, an I saw Rescue Nail Polish in Pepto Pink, and I decided to poke around, and see what else they had. OMG!!! I saw Pizzicato and Poco a Poco and they just spoke to me. I played the violin from 6th grade until I graduated. I first saw the expression poco a poco in middle school, and I loved the meaning; "little by little". I've only actually seen it on sheet music once. Then pizzicato is, of course, plucking the string. There was a song that we played that the English translation was "Raindrops". I actually got off my lazy butt, and looked through my sheet music to find the name of the song, it's called "Amadare", and it's by Japanese composer Keiko Yamada. Parts of the song are supposed to sound like raindrops, that's where the pizzicato comes in.

Point of all this is to simply say: I love the colors, I love the names, and I will get these two colors no matter what.

NOTDs: Nail of the Days

I meant to make a post of Skull & Glossbones before I took it off, but that didn't happen, but I did take a picture of it!

OPI Skull & Glossbones

I really wanted a neutral color, and this sandy color is what I was looking for. It's the perfect neutral color for my skin tone (which is pale, very pale). It goes on quite opaque, and is really easy to apply. This color is from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection. This collection has disappeared from my local Ulta, and I am quite sad. I was so happy when I found it in Indianapolis!!!

OPI Steady As She Rose

Currently I am wearing the above color. It's a really greyish purplish pinkish color. I am so wonderful at describing colors. It is so pretty, and I like it. Nothing else to say, other than this is also from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection.

OPI Planks A Lot

Toes look so weird... Especially mine. This is why I didn't have french tipped toes on my wedding day. My toe nails are so tiny!! I blame my weird toe shape. My husband calls them sausage toes. >_< Gee, thanks. Anywho, I really like to put bolder, brighter, and sometimes darker colors on my toes. I  usually only paint my toenails once every 1-2 weeks, and I don't even bother to put a bast coat or top coat on anything but the big one. Not much room to work with, as you can clearly tell. As for the color, I really like it!!! I want to try it on my fingernails, but I will wait after I try out the rest of the nail polish I bought in Indianapolis.

Home, and a great find

My trip to Indianapolis is over. What was I doing there, you may ask.

Oh nothing, just a little bit of this:

While I was there, we decided to go downtown, and go into a mall. We were almost ready to leave, when I see a "spend $25, get one free OPI nail polish" or something like that. Guess what I did! Yup, I was sucked in by the deal, and had no idea how good it actually was! I ended up getting this much:

From left to right: OPI: Planks A Lot, Dulce De Leche, Skull & Glossbones, Steady As She Rose, Essie Adore-A-Ball. My mom gave me money to get her one too, which is why the total was more.

I walked into Trade Secret wanting only two colors; Planks A Lot, and I was torn between Skull & Glossbones and Steady As She Rose. I haven't seen the Pirates of the Caribbean collection for a few months, and was happy that they had it there, but sad that there was no Mermaid Tears. I pick up SASR, and walk over to the table where they had stuff for sale. I found Tweezerman Brow Gell, and a box of mini nail files for $2 each, AND Adore-A-Ball for $1. Oh my goodness!! I keep looking, and there are the other two colors I waned, SASR and S&G for 50% off each. I put the original SASR back, and picked up these two lovelies and took my happy little butt to the counter. The sales lady then tells me that I can get a free OPI nail polish!!! I was so overwhelmed, so I went for the pretty redish, greyish, pink; Dulce De Leche. Oh was I happy!

I was so excited for Adore-A-Ball. It's what this blog is named after, and a color I've been wanting, but haven't actually gotten around to actually buying. Now it's mine =).

"the now box"

Ok, I realized that some nail polish would have to get the boot out of my box. Here is the chaos that resulted in me dumping everything on the floor.

Not a lot, but it's all that fits in the box. It's made out of lime green and purple plaid duct tape, with ribbon bows taped onto both sides of the box, all stuck to a really really, and I mean more than a decade old, box that used to hold miscellaneous stuff. The white thing is a foam insert that came in a case of Ulta face brushes. It fit perfectly!

Side note: No sure why Mint Candy Apple looks so blue... It's the only "blue" in the picture. So strange.

The varnish I knew that wold make the cut; my top coat, base coat, quick dry, silver shatter, and my 2 varnishes that I use for french tip (Essie's Marshmallow and Sugar Daddy)

The finish product:

The varnishes that got the boot :'(

L to R: Essie Too Too Hot, Essie Meet Me At Sunset, and Ulta Noel (bought at Target)

To be honest, I don't even like Noel. It's ridiculously streaky, and needs to meet the trashcan. The other two are summer colors, and it's hard to put them away, but I have to in order to make room. So sad, I love those colors.

That's me "the now box". See you guys in a few days! Toodles!


***NOTE: This was all taken before I went on a major nail polish shopping spree. Look out for an updated picture!