Painted Tips

Modern Animal

2012-01-28T12:23:00.000-08:00

I loved this. The pictures just don't do it justice, it was so shiny and SO pretty. All freehanded, obviously I need more practice. Still, love it!

This is one pretty polish

2012-01-27T19:49:00.000-08:00

I bought this ages ago, when the collection first came out. It's nothing new, obviously as China Glaze hasn't made a holo this fabulous since the OMGs. Very holo and very pretty and very pink. I like it lots.

If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, you're obviously insane. Get your booty over there and click a few buttons for the chance to win some AWESOME polish!

500 Follower Giveaway!!!!

2012-01-23T19:34:00.000-08:00

Hey all, it's finally that time! There's a reason why this took so long for me to get together. That secret surprise I mentioned? Well here it is!

I'm starting my own line of nail polish! I honestly love these frankens. I'm not saying that because I'm trying to sell them to you all, I own my own bottles and I wear them on a regular basis (and get SO many compliments every time. People love these!).
I'll be selling my Jane Eyre polish collection for $7.50 a bottle or 3 for $20. The collection is three beautiful greys, all smoky with that mysterious and tragic feel of my favorite novel of all time: Jane Eyre (of course!).

The colors are (in order from top to bottom!):
A Strange and Unearthly Thing- light grey with delicate green/blue shimmer. The shimmer is more apparent on the nail than my pictures would like you to believe.

Mrs. Edward Rochester- a something blue that isn't the usual. Light slate blue with fine holographic microglitter. Gorgeous.

To The Stars- a dark grey chock full of that beautiful holographic shimmer. A bit of blue in there, too, to keep it interesting.

Email me at paintedtips@gmail.com if you're interested in purchasing, limited amounts are available, so buy soon! Shipping will be $2.50 for the first polish with $.50 for every additional bottle.

And now for the giveaway! I'm giving to you, my lovely followers, a FULL set of my Jane Eyre polishes. All three of them will go home to one lucky winner.
BUT, that's not all! SinfulColors has teamed up with Painted Tips to also offer SIX lovely polishes. That's a total of NINE polishes in this giveaway, three of which you can't get anywhere else!
Sinful will send one lucky winner one bottle of each of the following polishes:
This Is It
HD Nails
Forget Now
Vacation Time
Daddy's Girl
Midnight Blue

So what do you have to do to win? Easy!
1) You have to be following me. There's no ifs, ands, or buts on this and I'll check to make sure the winner is legit. Press that little follow button, it's not too hard.
2) Fill out the following form.

Yup, that's it! If you do decide, though, to up your chances, here's ways to get bonus entries:
1) Put me on your blogroll. It'd be awfully nice if you'd keep me there, too.
2) Tell me which of the Jane Eyre polishes is your favorite and which SinfulColors is your favorite.
3) Suggest another color I should franken. I may end up end up making it!
4) Comment on my posts. Anyone who has commented at least 5x will be getting one more entry.
5) Recruit someone to my blog. They have to enter, too, and tell me that you've recruited them or it doesn't count.

So that's all! Just fill this in :D
Also, please note that this is only open for my US ladies. Sorry, international gals, I'll have another giveaway sometime for you!
This ends on February 10th. No entries after that date will be counted.

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A post, a post!

2012-01-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

CND Plumville
It's pretty but I don't love it on me. Too red, maybe?

Awful lighting because the polish and my camera don't like behaving.

New favorite color combo

2012-01-19T21:36:00.000-08:00

CC Take Me To Your Chateau over Lippmann You Can Leave Your Hat On. Bundlemonster stamped. It looked great matte, too.
I love the light blog over the nude, so interesting looking. I really loved this.

Sweaters for my nails!

2012-01-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

It snowed! It snowed here and it so rarely does, so I made little sweaters for my nails :D
I didn't take pictures like normal because... well... this is more fun. Yeah, let's go with that.
I used Wet n' Wild's French White Creme and Red Red and then an itty-bitty brush. A little messy, but they looked good enough, I thought. I like the moose the best :D
(Inspired by NeverTooMuchGlitter)

I'm working on getting the give-away stuff together. It'll be soon, I promise. Thanks for helping me hit 500, everyone! Remember, I'm rather partial to people who are with me PRE give-away, rather than post. There might be an opportunity for an extra entry if you've been active on my blog before I announce what you can win ;)

News on My 500 Follower Giveaway

2012-01-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

I'm at 498 followers, 2 away from a HUGE milestone.

So, when I do get those two, I'll be revealing exactly what it is you might win. So, if you're reading but not following, now's the time to follow.

Can't wait to let y'all in on the big surprise!

China Glaze- Go Go Pink

2012-01-15T14:55:00.000-08:00

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An oldie and a goodie. A bit streaky but that perfect pale pink that just screams femininity. Adore this one.

Essie Sand Tropez

2012-01-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

I liked this.

Serena Williams' Polish

2012-01-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

She partnered with OPI and made these shades, each sold in a duo with a corresponding crackle.

I didn't mean to buy any. No, I swear, I didn't want the crackle and I didn't want her nail polish.

The crackle was separate at Ulta and on sale. I had lots of coupons, and it totaled somewhere around $4 a bottle, so I bought several colors (black, silver, white, and gold are now all of my OPI crackles. I think. Uh oh, I might be missing a few)

And then the polishes were on sale, 30% off at Trade Secret. I bought these three. The names are silly (aren't they always?!) but the colors are complex and pretty. Please enlarge all pictures. Really, do it. And just in case you won't, I provided an enlarged bottle photo for each. Unique colors with complexity like we don't see very often from OPI, I'm sold!

I really should photograph Simply Smashing, the other SW for OPI color I have. I might just do that now. If so, I'll edit this post with it. I don't have Rally Pretty Pink because someone (achem, Valarie) talked me out of buying it 30% off. She's mean. I also don't have, or really desire, any of the Wimbledon polishes.

Love is a Racket-
This is going to be my V-Day mani. It'll be my own personal inside joke and I will enjoy it (and maybe do a crackled heart on it, that went well last year). It's this incredibly complex pinkish red. Or reddish pink, I don't know.
It has these itty bitty flakies (or, as I call them, microflakies! Let's make that catch on, yeah?) and pretty shimmer. I liked this one the best, actually.

Spark De Triomphe-
A clear based silver glitter with large circular gold glitters. I think. Honestly, this one's so odd I don't even know. I've seen it described by bloggers as gold, champagne, silver, greenish, yellowish.... Just look at the close-up, okay?

Pros and Bronze-
I see what you did there, OPI. Clever name.
This one was pretty sheer. A rose gold-y, bronze-y color. I can't decide if I like this on me, but it's interesting. Please note, immediately after taking this photo I filed my nails so they don't look so silly. I promise they're better now.

Grrrrr

2012-01-04T21:32:00.000-08:00

Google took away my ads because they suspected fraud. I made $60 in no time flat, and I swear I didn't cheat. I never once clicked my own ads, and I have nowhere near the expertise to make some kind of auto-clicky thingy-majig. So I lost the $60 and the ability to have ads. It is really awful that I can't contest this because I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG.

Anyway, I just got a new baby, a Canon Rebel T3. Yup, finally I'm upgrading. I still need a macro lens before I can take nail pics with it, but look at the lovely pictures I took. (I'm proud of myself, I don't consider myself any kind of photographer, but I took these AND edited them all by my self :D)

I obviously have a thing for high-contrast, darkened, saturated images. And broken buildings. And doors, but no wonderful pics came from that small obsession.

Two quick photos

2011-12-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

Attached to the SinfulColors holiday collections (see it here) were these two nail art polishes. A silver glitter in a clear base, Fashionista, which I found sparse, and a gold shimmer, Flower Girl, which I adore. The latter is a very, very yellow gold. A bit gaudy, and entirely perfect. They're shown here over AA Imperial Purple in a variety of designs (otherwise known as me goofing off). I have animal print and scroll-work in Flower Girl and a full coat of Fashionista as well as some stripes.

Now this is a fun one. American Apparel Neon Green with Dare to Wear Celestial Blue on top. Isn't it lovely?! So fun and summery. Celestial Blue is from DtW's Crack-m-Up line. It cracks nicely and is shockingly pigminted. I have one last Dare to Wear to show off (another crackle :D), but that can wait.

Some of these polishes were sent to me for review. I still gave an honest and fair opinion of them

On the technicalities of blogging....

2011-12-23T23:01:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about things recently, puzzling over a few small changes I'm thinking of making to the blog. I thought I should let y'all chime in, after all, you are the reason I'm blogging.

So, you might have noticed that there are a lot more posts with items given to me recently. Firstly, please understand that my review is entirely honest. I'll tell you if I hate the product, I'm not going to compromise my integrity and the integrity of this blog just for the sake of free stuff.

Now, you also may have noticed (thought I wouldn't blame you if you didn't) that I never post about upcoming launches. I don't like that usually when other blogs do it as the colors are SO different from the promos generally. Here's question one: Would you like it if I posted the launch info I get emailed to me from various companies?

Question two is also about advertising, more specifically if I should put up paid ads on the blog. I'm trying to save up some cash for travel (hence the no-buy) and monetizing the blog would help. But I don't want to degrade Painted Tips with those icky ads Google puts up. I'm thinking about selling some ad space independently, but I'm not even sure how to go about that or if I really want to. Would you mind if there were ads on this blog? If you blog, do you have ads? Why or why not?

It'd be AWESOME if you'd answer a few of these questions for me. And it might possibly help you out in the next giveaway (but don't hold me to that. There won't be one, likely, until I hit 500 followers, and even then, I AM trying to save some money! But, any giveaway I have will have little extras for my long-suffering readers like yourself).

Edit: I put ads up. If they aren't making enough money to be worth it, I'll take them down. Still, any extra cash for my trip will be helpful. I do promise that ads won't be so blended into my blog that my content and paid content are indistinguishable. Let me know if you have any strong feelings about this!

THESE ARE SO PURDY

2011-12-23T21:53:00.000-08:00

I've ranted and raved about how awesome Valerie is (find her here) before. Here's her polish. No, it's not polish I got from her, it's literally her polish. She mixed it and is, last I heard, planning to sell it. I got it for my birthday from the lady herself.
IT'S SO PRETTY. It Came in the Night is this uber complex jelly purple with iridescent pieces. I LOVE IT. Fluffed Dove is pretty, reminiscent of Glitter in the Air (a polish Valarie loves, I know), but not super my taste. Yes, I do enjoy it, but not like I do ICitN. ICitN will be on my tips for the rest of eternity. Or maybe just 2011 (don't worry, I have some stored pics for y'all if that ends up being the case).

I think I'm getting a new camera soon, so keep with me and my awful pictures for a bit, please! The lamp I used to use to light photos broke and the new one and my camera do NOT get along. Nothing I shoot is fully lit AND color-accurate, only one or the other. Ugh.

Dare to Wear a Dollhouse

2011-12-17T20:48:00.000-08:00

Hehehe, I'm clever. And funny. No really, I am.

or not.

Anyway, Dare to Wear sent me their lovely Dollhouse collection. This was one of the most exciting moment of my month as the colors are GORGEOUS. A hint of pastel, holographic glitter, and a jelly base. YUM.

I wanted this collection for its yellow glitter, Fashion Fever. Sadly that yellow glitter is actually a green-yellow, emphasis on the green. So my quest for a bright yellow glitter continues....

They all have small specks of silver glitter, medium sized holographic circles, and holographic bar glitter. I repeat: yum.

I like Pop Artist, a bubblegum pink, the best, I think. Though Rock Star is awfully pretty, as is Social Butterfly. Lady Luck would be PERFECT for St. Patty's Day, and Dream Princess is a unique and rather odd shade of pale orange, I've never seen a glitter quite like it. All in all, they're gorgeous.

The products in this post were sent to me for review. This did not, in any way, affect my opinion.

SinfulColors' Holiday Collection!

2011-12-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

They're all re-promos, I believe, meaning that we've seen these exact colors before and the only thing that's changed is the display. I did own Midnight Blue and Daddy's Girl before receiving these, and, as far as I can tell, there's not one thing that's changed. However, these are (for the most part) PERFECT for the holidays. I'm thinking of doing a Hannukah manicure (I've previously moaned and groaned about holiday collections falling flat due to CHRISTMAS themes. I like me some red and green, but bring on Gelt-Gold and that shade of blue that matches Israel's flag! But I digress) with Midnight Blue and Out of This World. Daddy's Girl is rather 'odd man out' for me, as I don't traditionally associate purple with any hoiday. Whatever, it's so pretty.

The shimmer in all these is INCREDIBLE. Super complex and pretty. Enlarge the photos if you dare, but I must warn you that my nails are awful right now. Awful. I swatched Last Chance right before one tore and I had to cut them all. I miss my long nails :/
Last Chance- A green creme/jelly. Pretty. I wonder how it compares to Illamasqua Rampage... A bit less jelly, I think.

Out of This World- Possibly my favorite from this collection. A pretty, delicate white shimmer. So complex and very, very dainty. I wore this one with white shatter.

Midnight Blue- An electric navy. The shimmer looks almost alive.

Daddy's Girl- So much more purple in real life. SUPER purple. A purple jelly. I promise, this is purple. It's not blue. It's purple. Pink shimmer.

Sugar Sugar- Some gold flecks, pink shimmer, and a red base. Pretty standard but the gold makes it interesting. Very pretty.

The products in this post were provided for review. This did not, in any way, affect my opinion or my review.

Easy Galaxy Nails

2011-12-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

Wet 'n' Wild Morbid coupled with this pretty flakie make for nails that could be otherworldly- no? Significantly less of a hassle than either galaxy nails method (see one here) and stunning in its own right.

Barielle Sailors' Delight

2011-12-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

LOVE this pink. It's so universally flattering, I brought it to a slumber party and it looked incredible on everyone. It's also $4 at Ulta right now, so go snatch it up. And, to top it all off, it looks incredible with OPI's Gold Shatter. Yup.

Things I am thankful for....

2011-11-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

Well Chanel, of course! But also my wonderful family, one member (my lovely aunt) gave me this nail polish (<3 you Aunt Pam!). It's beautiful, no? The perfect holiday red. It has some pretty pink sparkle, too! And it may or may not have been perfect with a Starbucks cup once I added some white snowflakes... :)

Look what the cat dragged in...

2011-11-22T19:11:00.000-08:00

I have no excuse for being so absent lately. None. I'm so sorry, y'all, I'll definitely try to do better.
So, here's a bunch of pretty pictures of pretty polishes for you. It's the Dr.'s Remedy Winter collection. Dr.'s Remedy polish is supposed to be all special and good for your nails, which is pretty awesome, I think. But, more importantly (at least to me) they have good, non-boring colors. Actually, fantastic, unique colors. Your going to love this...
Revive Ruby Red-
This is a re-promo, it came out last year or so, I believe. It's a darker, glowy red. Takes two coats to perfect, and it'll be adorable come Christmas time, though it's lovely now.

Essential Emerald-
Yeah, it's essential. Really, get it. A unique green with slight silver shimmer. Just adore this one. Two and a half coats.

Passion Purple-
Didn't want to by photographed. I gave it my best, though, and I think I captured it okay. It's a pretty purple, the shimmer isn't as prominent as other, similar colors. Of the collection, this one was one of the less unique.

Now, the glitters. A quick note on these, they chipped like I've never experienced before. I can honestly say that I've never painted my nails, let them dry, top coated, went to bed, and woken up with severely chipped nails. I did give each polish a shot, and they both chipped so quickly. Maybe they just don't like my nails. A shame, as they're both super gorgeous and unique at two coats.
Resolution Red Glitter-

Serene Silver Glitter-

The names are pretty bad. They just don't make sense aside form the alliteration. Really, though, a complex silver glitter labeled as 'serene'. No. Just no. Still, Dr.'s Remedy made some of my new favorite polishes, and I'll be reaching for some, like Essential Emerald, all the time. So pretty.

These were sent to me for review, that did not affect my opinion of them in the slightest.

And because I'm quickly becoming obsessed with this guy, one of the best songs I've heard in a while:

2011-11-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

Uber belated Halloween mani (China Glaze Let's Groove and Milani nail art in White), Sinful Colors Show Me the Way, and Sally Hansen Coco a-go-go.
All very pretty.
Again, I'm sorry for being gone so much. And these aren't watermarked. That's because my computer now hates Photoshop and it was either this or no post at all. Please don't steal my pictures.

Would y'all mind if I put some ads up? I'm trying to save up for a trip to Israel this summer, so I need to earn $500 in not much time, and I thought this would be a good way to get some cash.

Sorry for disappearing!

2011-10-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

Orly Space Cadet is pretty.
There's two reasons why I've been slow posting:
1) My computer doesn't like Photoshop anymore, which means I can't watermark and thus can't post.
2) School.
So, yeah, I'm really sorry. I'm going to try to fight through the aggravating slow-ness and get a half-dozen pictures watermarked.

Not Nail Polish

2011-10-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

Don't say I didn't warn you. This post is not about nail polish. This post is about my passion pre-polish- make up. I went to Walgreen's yesterday to pick up some chapstick and what I came away with was INCREDIBLE. A lipstain, two lipsticks, foundation, three nail polishes (two for me, one for my sister), foundation, eye shadow, and lipgloss. All for under $25 total. All Revlon. How? Wally's had 40% off of Revlon, and then the woman helping us gave us coupons for $2 off EACH ITEM. The foundation alone was $13, the lipsticks were $9 a piece. And my total was so low I felt like I was stealing. I swatched my haul for you, just for kicks and giggles. Lemme know if you like me swatching make-up products, or if I should just stick to nails. Also, tell me if you'd rather I show the products on my lips.
In order from left to right: Celestial Silver eye shadow, Crave lipstain, Lilac Pastelle lipgloss, Siren lipstick, Baby Pink lipstick.

Revlon Diamond Lust Eye Shadow in Celestial Silver-
My mother and I each bought one of these, and I just sent her out on a mission to buy me the other three colors on display. A sheer silver eye shadow with iridescent glitter. SO PRETTY.

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain in Crave-
A red based purple. Not usually my cup of tea, but something about this screamed out to me. And I'm glad, it's perfect! It gives me perfectly stained lips that still look natural. A note about the lipstains- my mother, sister, and I now have acquired a total of around ten of these in the past two days. They're usually somewhere around $10, but we got them for $2 a piece and they're just so awesome that now we combined own almost the whole collection (with Passion x2, as that pink is incredible).

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Lilac Pastelle-
Pretty purple. I like that this can be sheer, if you apply with a light hand, or more opaque. It's also pretty trendy, and rather out there, but the sheerness makes it wearable. And oh, how wearable it is. I could see myself rocking this over Baby Pink all winter!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Siren-
A pretty red-leaning orange. Very bold. It's on trend for those orange lips that have been everywhere since Spring Fashion Week, but it still has some red to make it not too dated. I just want to wear this with a bodycon turquoise dress and minimal other make up. Wouldn't that be SO pretty?

Revlon Lipstick in Baby Pink-
There's a little bit of shimmer to this, which disappoints me. I think it's a pearl (?) in make up terms. It's semi-opaque, so it doesn't quite cover my naturally pigmented lips. Still, pretty and rather natural.

After swatching all of these, I figured that I might as well swatch one more makeup product- Dr.'s Remedy Enriched Instant Cover.

It's a concealer, I have it in medium. It comes in this GIANT tube, 3.5 oz, and is made to conceal on the body, not the face. It has a sponge type applicator, which is effective at distributing the product, but there's still some blending required for a natural finish.

Here is is over my entire arm, still stained with the Revlon lipstain. As you can see, the lines where it is on my skin is very evident. This is not my shade. Th
is is nowhere near my shade. This is too yellow and far too dark to be my shade. Funny, as I've always been a medium. That's my main beef with this product, there are only three shades available and, apparently, it's not as easy to choose one as it seems. It's $40, a steep price to pay, especially if the concealer isn't your shade. It did cover the lipstain, though, and had I taken the picture after a few minutes, the shine wouldn't have been there at all.
I do like this product, but I'm disappointed as I think that a variety of skin tones should be covered, and this is certainly very limited in that aspect. If you can find your match, though, it would work to cover birth marks, tattoos, and spider veins- all with natural, good for you ingredients.
Some products in this post were sent to me for review. That did not effect my opinion of them.

Seeing spots

2011-10-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

So, I saw Color Club's scented polishes, turned up my nose, and then forgot about them. They all like like CC neons I already own, and the gimmick of scent is actually a turn off for me (what if it makes me smell noxious?). But then, then Yum Gum happened. And it's so darn pretty. I wore it alone for 3 days, added the leopard print tonight, and will wear it until tomorrow night. It's walks that fine line between a true neon and a polish that's wearable for non-polish freaks. It's BRIGHT, but not retina-searing. It's actually perfect. Though, it's rather photo-shy, only reveling that pretty pepto-color in the worst of lighting. Please forgive me and my awful pictures (at least they're color accurate!).

3 coats.

Shiny pretty

2011-10-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

I could write poetry about my love for Color Club polishes, specifically their neons and glitters- but I won't. You can thank me later.
Anywho, Color Club makes some wicked polish, and for practically nothing. I bought this set of glitters at Ross for somewhere around $8 for six? seven? of them. Good deal, but they came nameless and I'm too lazy to find the names now. Comment if you want to know any of them specifically and I'll go a'looking. Oh, and Black Shatter is awesome.

Long time- no see!

2011-10-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, everyone. Life gets in the way of blogging sometimes. The thing is, I'm now sixteen (!!!!!!!!) and I'm taking a full load of college level courses, basically. I'm taking the most rigorous classes available at my high school, as well as doing a variety of extra-curriculars and I'm so stressed out and pressed for time. I won't blog if it means neglecting my home work, just won't do it.
I've been doing my nails most of the time, and it was just my birthday (!!!!) so I have some new polish.
OH! And, I have a NEW FANCY CAMERA IN THE MAIL. A SLR! But I have not acquired a macro lens, so I might not be able to actually use if for nail photos.
OPI Swimsuit- Nailed It! is stunning. But I might never wear it again as my nails are BLUE. Not just blue, but BLUE. And I took the polish off days ago. I've never encountered a stainer like this one, no bueno, OPI.

Butter London

2011-09-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

I bought these last Tuesday when Ulta was selling Butter Londons for buy one, get one free. I used my $3.50 off $10 purchase and so these totaled $10.50, or $5.25 a piece. For polishes that retail for $14, that's a steal! Love 'em both, too. Victoriana is the perfect moody teal and No More Waity, Katie is STUNNING. Elegant and modern and so darn pretty.

Crazy nails

2011-09-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

Wore this to school today. Got my index finger's nail stuck in a door (don't ask) right before heading out, so it has a quick polish repairing job, with a short nail. Since this photo, I've filed down all my nails to match.

A funky french manicure with freehanded leopard print. Crazy? Yes. But I liked it. Inspired by Wahnails.com

Yeah, I don't like that calendar thing... On another note- FRANKEN!

2011-09-18T15:22:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I was in a craft store. I recently decided that I'd like to franken more, and so I went on a mission to find glitter. I did, indeed, find glitter, but more on that later. What is more important, is that I found this. Gold leaf. And I put it in a clear base and now I'd like to have it on my nails forever. It's stunning.

So stunning, that I'd like to share. I was thinking about starting to mix my own frankens and sell them. This one would be included, of course, as I can't imagine not sharing it. There are some kinks to be worked out, like deciding whether the gold leaf needs to be cut finer. I like it blingy-er, like this, but maybe the pieces should be just a bit smaller. I also need to make an order for empty bottles. I don't want to spend that money if there'd be no buyers so, here's my question for y'all, would you buy this franken? I'm thinking about pricing them all at $7, except ones with gold leaf, which would be $10. Is that a good price?

Polish days 1-4

2011-09-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here's my red, orange, yellow, and green for that polish calender thing. More to come, I promise!

The red is an OPI I bought at a nail salon, Edin-Burgundy. It's darker than the picture, a shade lighter and less purple than wine.

The orange is Color Club You Got Soul-ar. I hate the name. Hate it. It's more pink than the photo, but no where near coral. Cool glitter.

Essence's Sundancer is my yellow. I assure you, it's more orange. Not quite egg yolk, but more sunshine.

For green, I have Revlon Emerald. Formula was a bit runny, which tripped me up. I bought this at Target for $.25, so I can't complain.

Garden nails

2011-09-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

You know that calendar I posted for the nail looks I was going to do? You know, my last post? Well... Uh..... I can't post any more during the week as I have school and studying and I like going for BIG, high impact nail-arty looks now. So. Uh. I'll try and swatch and catch up to that this weekend, okay?

I was going to replicate my gnome nails from ages ago, but after drawing the grass I felt rather lazy and just did flowers. These got SO much attention, it was insane. Everyone had to take a look.

If y'all want, I'll do a tutorial.

Trying something new

2011-09-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I've decided that I'm going to try this for the month of September. I'm obviously a tad late, so I'll do a quick catch up post (right after I get my lazy butt off my chair and go find some polish)

Cheap Thrills

2011-09-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

They rock! Forever 21 has nail polish (old news) that's scented (recent-ish news) and neon (new news!). Smelled like melon (its name, go figure) when it dried. So pretty.Sorry for the extended absence. I've been camping.

Blue glitter galaxy nails!

2011-08-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

I cannot express how gorgeous these were. I've showed you how to do this kind of manicure here. Lovely.

Zoya Spam

2011-08-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

Received all of these today from my polish date with the lovely Lavender Parfait . She doesn't like Zoyas, so I don't like her (I kid, she's ah-dorable. Such a sweetie and SO much fun to shop for polish with).

3 coats each.

Dove. Dove is a soft grey creme. Pretty polish, but I messed up the application (darn me and my clumsy fingers). I will DEFINITELY be wearing this soon, it's a beautiful, soft color.

Gemma is murkier than my photo, I swear, and less blurry. Sorry! It was IMPOSSIBLE to get a good picture of this one. Pretty, pretty, pretty- but not my style. I wouldn't have purchased it, but I will wear it, as it's unique in pretty much every way.

Tanzy's just what I needed, a pretty, sparkly orange. Zoya Sienna was a potential cousin, in my mind, but Sienna has shimmer the same tone as the base (as opposed the the gold in Tanzy) and a brighter orange base, if I remember correctly.

Venus. You can skip this. Seriously, worst formula on a Zoya I've ever found. Thick and sheer and GROSS. I did get it used from a nail salon, maybe something's happened to it? I hope this isn't actually a representation of this color as ordered from the Zoya website. BLEGH.

Caitlin. Ah, Caitlin. MUCH redder in real life. MUCH. A purple with some grey, a lovely color that's unique to my stash and pretty on my hands. I adore it, but it broke my camera! NO setting would get this true to life, none.

Rica was my favorite. I think. Well, I'm pretty sure that at least for now, Rica is my true Zoya love. A STUNNING pink with gold shimmer, that wonderful shimmer, too, that Zoya does so well. So, so pretty.

And Apple, the most beautiful light green in my stash. Zoya hit the mark on this one. I own a few Zoya greens and I'm more than "meh" about them. To give you a hint, haven't worn some of them at all, and the others I threw on TWO YEARS AGO just to swatch. But this beauty... I'll wear it a LOT. Especially on my toes :D

Del Sol polish!

2011-08-09T17:36:00.001-07:00

For you today I have some pretty interesting polishes. And I don't mean interesting with that long, drawn out breath that is actually a polite way to say "weird". I mean genuinely curious polishes. They change color under UV rays, aka, the sun.
And, for the most part, it's a dramatic change. You'll notice, I promise.

First up, Ruby Slipper. Shown in the sun and in the shade. This polish is easily my favorite of the bunch. Every company seems to have the "Ruby Pumps" polish. A polish with a red jelly base and glitter, and they're all the same. For the most part, I avoid purchasing any more of the dozens of re-incarnations of Dorothy's slippers because, frankly, once you've seen one, you've seen them all. Well, not this time. This polish is a demure little silver glitter. Pretty and almost elegant, and not too eyecatching. I adore this, and, funnily enough, my mother does to. She has me give her pedicures, something neutral and natural, and one day I slipped this into the routine. She was really, really not appreciative until a few days later, when she asked me to patch it up. And then, a week later, she had me re-do her toes in a blood red. This polish single-handedly converted her! A must buy, I think. Different than anything you own. 3 coats.

Peek a Boo is quite a shy one. It appears in the bottle as a clear with a tinge of yellow. On the nail it shows (eek) all the imperfections and discolorations that come with daily polishing. A polish you could wear to work. And then, take it into the sun, and BAM! Red! A jelly red, too. I'm not a fan of the indoor color (and I REALLY need to buff my nails out. They look awful) but the outdoor color is really special. My second favorite. 2 coats (should've done three).

Foxy's a pretty pink. A color that's a tad generic, not something that'd get compliments as it's just a shade that I think we've seen a hundred times. But it's a pretty pink, and, if you don't have one in your collection, it's worth a look. And, oh yeah, it changes to a gorgeous red-purple in the sun! The color change is MUCH more subtle than the first two, but it's there and it's pretty. 3 coats.

The only one that wasn't complete love from me was this, the last, Electrick. Frosty blue. Streaky with brushstrokes. The indoor shade is BLEGH and the outdoor isn't any better, a pale lime that's not saturated enough to show the change in color as much as I'd like. I wore this to camp and the kids ADORED it. While I'm not a fan, the color change is visible and very, very entertaining to six year olds. 3 coats.

Things you gotta know:
-These polishes aren't cheap, but they're something you don't see a lot. Maybe the color change is a gimmick, but it's undeniably fun.
-Your topcoat likely has a UV protector in it. Don't apply it over these, if you do, you won't see any change in the sun.
-If you don't buy Ruby Slipper, you're clinically insane.

Disclosure- Some of the polishes in this post were sent to me for review. That did not change my opinion of them.

2011-08-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Didn't love this one. Look at how red my hands look, ick. Not a fan of LA Splash Golden Seahorse, even though the nail board at MUA is.

Let's talk about pretties

2011-08-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

Specifically, this ring. Isn't it STUNNING?! It's actually been sitting on my desk for review for... months. I suck. It's from Chunky Bling. It's a ring made from swarovski crystals. The ring stretches to accommodate larger and smaller fingers, but it doesn't feel 'cheap'. Generally I avoid rings that stretch to fit, as they feel flimsy, but this one felt sturdy. It's a BIG ring, as you can see from its profile, but it's comfortable to wear. The price is $10, which is a STEAL. I wore it out yesterday and got lots of compliments.

And a bonus picture of my nails, Petites Craze. Very, very pretty. Love the different sizes of glitter.

The ring was sent to me for review. This did not alter my opinion of it.

Updated Blog Sale!

2011-08-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm selling some of my polishes. These pretties just aren't getting the love that they deserve at my house, so I'd like to get 'em to someone who will use them.
Most have been swatched on four fingers, or used once for a full mani, and never touched again. Usage can be seen in photos, all pictures were taken unshaken.

To buy:
You must live in/have them shipped to the United States. Shipping will be $3 plus $.50 more per an item.
You must go through Pay-Pal
You must email me at paintedtips@gmail.com with the polishes you'd like

Prices may be lowered if you are looking at buying several polishes.
Some polishes are being sold for a touch more due to their nature of being difficult to find.

Color Club- ALL PENDING Space Case ($2), Turn the Other Chic ($1.50), Oh Naturale ($2), Si Vous Please ($2)

Zoya- Tangy ($4 worn once), Tallulah ($4 worn once), Ki ($5, swatched once)PEDING

OPI- Significant Other Color, black label ($2, ~66% remaining), Greenwich Village ($4), My Big Break ($7, holiday collection of '07) SOLD, And This Little Piggy ($4)

China Glaze- Doll House ($1.75, ~75% remaining), Ick-a-body ($2), Chin Chilla-Vanilla ($4, old style bottle) SOLD, Watermelon Rind ($1.75, usage as shown)PENDING

China Glaze- C-C-Courage ($2) SOLD, Midnight Mission ($2), Exceptionally Gifted ($2), Coconut Kiss ($2)

Nailtiques- Vienna ($5), Jesse's Girl- Firefly ($2 swatched once) SOLD, NYC Wall Street ($1)

Sally Hansen- Bronze Pink ($15 or best offer, super rare duochrome! Used twice, at most) SOLD, Maybelline- Sunlight ($2.50), Revlon- Star ($3, usage as shown)

Love And Beauty- Charcoal ($2, used once) PENDING, LA Girls- Punk ($1, usage as shown)SOLD

Piggy Polish- Daylilies and Music ($4), Midsummer Midnight ($5, never used)

Barielle- Jess' Champagne Toast ($4), Aura Angora ($4) PENDING, Ulta- Jaded ($2.50 PEDING, never used)

Lippmann- Maneater ($10, no box, swatched once)

Random Japanese polish ($5, swatched on one finger once) PENDING

Another shot of that Japanese polish. All that glitter's holo, my camera just couldn't handle it.

I just really love this polish

2011-08-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

Really, really love it. OPI I Lily Love You looks so fantastic over EVERYTHING. Shown here over Passion Fruit, another gorgeous polish. I've actually worn this combination twice in the past month.

A favorite combination

2011-08-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

OPI Let Me Entertain You with OPI I Lily Love you on top.

And a picture my friend took of me, just for kicks and giggles.

Born Pretty store "Nail Patch" review

2011-07-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

When these arrived in my mail box, there was a lot of squealing. A lot of jumping up and down and staring in awe. And then a lot of waiting.

I recently went to New York for ten days, and, prior to receiving these, decided that that was when I'd wear them. The packaging promises me eleven days of wear, and the design promises gorgeousness. It was a match made in heaven, right?

Sadly, wrong.

These wouldn't apply flat. The edges wouldn't stay down and they annoyed me every moment until I took them off, one hour later. I think, though, it was my application, not the product. I've never used this kind of sticker before from any manufacturer, and the nails applied latest did the best. The good news is, I was able to use only half a sticker per a nail, so I have enough for another manicure!

I'll be giving them another chance, the design's too pretty not to.

Products in this post were sent to me for review. That did not change my opinion of them or influence my review.

Dannii

2011-07-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

What a lovely polish. Really, stunning. Purple with that awesome gold shimmer that Zoya does so well... Microflakies? Just about, I think. The shimmer's large and irregular.

My Illamasqua polishes

2011-07-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

which I've had for forever, but never took great pictures of. I hauled both Muse and Rampage at the same time, actually, and that time was over a year ago. Haven't worn them since, which is a travesty as they are obviously gorgeous.

Some Rescue Beauty Lounge Spam

2011-07-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

I swatched my full collection of RBLs recently as "Rescue Beauty Lounge" seems to be the highest search that brings people to my blog! Yes, I just found the Stats page. Anywho, here's all my RBLs. I adore them all. Mismas is not pictured because she hates my camera.

Some summer colors

2011-07-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

Don't these both SCREAM summer? They practically applied themselves, too. Dontcha just adore a great formula?
Milani sent these to me for review, this did not change my opinion of the product at all.

Two cheap thrills

2011-07-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

Essence polishes, a steal at one dollar a piece.
The holo is Can't Cheat on Me, a sheer silver that has scattered holo akin to the Kaleidoscopes from China Glaze. Adore.
The other is Irreplaceable. Really, really pretty.

My Precious

2011-07-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

Please excuse Oliver's hair on my nails. Don't know how it got there.

Chanel Graphite.
Hurry to stores and snatch this and Peridot up. Seriously, otherwise you'll regret it and Chanel regret ain't cheap.

Flowers

2011-07-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

Bad lighting, I know, but none of the other pictures turned out. Just my standard quick floral manicure.
The glitter is Milani, one of the One Coat Glitters. Then OPI No Room For the Blues and some Sinful Colors white (Snow White?)

One of the wonderful things about blogging

2011-07-03T19:23:00.001-07:00

is the friends you make.
I've met SO many people through this blog and MUA. It's even better, I feel, because I am a teen. Teenagers are vicious and sometimes I feel attacked for having polish as a hobby, but people who love polish understand and are supportive when I need it and hilarious always.
Valerie is another polish-loving teen. I found her through MUA and, though we live pretty close, we've never met. Still, I enjoy talking to her about polish and school and everything else that fills a teenager's head.
Anywho, recently she began blogging. And when I say recently, I don't really mean that, I've just neglected to feature her thus far (SORRY!). She's reached the milestone of 70 followers and is having a giveaway of Island Girl polishes, which aren't available in many places. How cool is that?!
Check her out, and more because she's an incredible person with pretty nails rather than because you could possibly win free polish (though that's a pretty good incentive).

http://lavenderparfait.blogspot.com/2011/06/giveaway.html

An award? For me? Dawwwww :)

2011-07-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person that gave you the awards, and link back to them. (Already done!)
2. Post seven things about yourself.
3. Pass the love to 15 bloggers.
4. Let them know they’ve received the awards!

Thank you so much to http://mynailartblog.com/ for the award. I actually found her blog through this award and adore it!

Okay, now, let's see about me.....
1) I love theatre. Being in, working backstage, and going to, in about equal measure.
2) I ski. Well, I actually race, but I'm not so good at that.
3) I have the Constitution memorized. NERD STATUS.
4) I want to be an elementary school librarian when I grow up.
5) I have two wonderful dogs. Sometimes I paint their nails.
6) I'm outgrowing my helmer *EEK*
7) I have an iPhone and use it ALL THE TIME.

Passing the love on....
Well, you know, I'm going to tag everybody reading this who has a blog. Let me know if you're doing it, I'll make sure to follow you, add you to my blogroll, and check out your seven facts!

-
<3 Allya

What'll be on my nails for the 4th?

2011-07-03T18:17:00.001-07:00

A red, white, and blue Ruffian, of course! Lovely.
I also took A LOT of length off my nails, thoughts?

Chanel Peridot

2011-06-29T19:18:00.001-07:00

I could live in this color. Honestly. I could wear it every day and still adore it.
One of my favorite polishes. Ever. Worth every freaking penny.
And, yes, I have the other star of the collection, Graphite. It's sitting on my desk right now. I'll use it when I can actually bear to remove Peridot. So, it may be a while. (Though Graphite was the one I wanted for sure, and Peridot was the one I was on the fence about, originally).

Yes, there are brushstrokes. But, look! It's green, it's gold, it's blue, it's utter perfection.

Nobody does gorgeous like Chanel.

PRETTY

2011-06-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

OPI DS Extravagance. Stunning

BLOG SALE!

2011-06-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm selling some of my polishes. These pretties just aren't getting the love that they deserve at my house, so I'd like to get 'em to someone who will use them.
Most have been swatched on four fingers, or used once for a full mani, and never touched again. Usage can be seen in photos, all pictures were taken unshaken.

To buy:
You must live in/have them shipped to the United States. Shipping will be $3 plus $.50 more per an item.
You must go through Pay-Pal
You must email me at paintedtips@gmail.com with the polishes you'd like

Prices may be lowered if you are looking at buying several polishes.
Some polishes are being sold for a touch more due to their nature of being difficult to find.

Color Club- ALL PENDING Space Case ($2), Turn the Other Chic ($1.50), Oh Naturale ($2), Si Vous Please ($2)

Zoya- Tangy ($4 worn once) PENDING, Tallulah ($4 worn once) PENDING, Ki ($5, swatched once)

OPI- Significant Other Color, black label ($2, ~66% remaining), Greenwich Village ($4), My Big Break ($7, holiday collection of '07) PENDING, And This Little Piggy ($4) PENDING

China Glaze- Doll House ($1.75, ~75% remaining), Ick-a-body ($2), Chin Chilla-Vanilla ($4, old style bottle) PENDING, Watermelon Rind ($1.75, usage as shown)

China Glaze- C-C-Courage ($2) PENDING , Midnight Mission ($2), Exceptionally Gifted ($2), Coconut Kiss ($2)

Nailtiques- Vienna ($5), Jesse's Girl- Firefly ($2 swatched once) PENDING, NYC Wall Street ($1)

Sally Hansen- Bronze Pink ($15 or best offer, super rare duochrome! Used twice, at most) PENDING, Maybelline- Sunlight ($2.50), Revlon- Star ($3, usage as shown)

Love And Beauty- Charcoal ($2, used once), LA Girls- Punk ($1, usage as shown)PENDING

Piggy Polish- Daylilies and Music ($4), Midsummer Midnight ($5, never used)

Barielle- Jess' Champagne Toast ($4), Aura Angora ($4), Ulta- Jaded ($2.50, never used)

Lippmann- Maneater ($10, no box, swatched once)

Random Japanese polish ($5, swatched on one finger once)

Another shot of that Japanese polish. All that glitter's holo, my camera just couldn't handle it.

A touch of silver

2011-06-26T12:25:00.001-07:00

These looked SO cool.

Not loving

2011-06-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

Just looks weird on me. Thoughts?

Just for fun

2011-06-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

Some images from a photo-shoot I was a part of. I did the nails (the floral ones already shown). I'm the model. The pics were taken by Hunter Brown.

Floral Nails

2011-06-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THESE.
I think there's just something with me and floral nails. Like, right now my nails have daffodils on them (pics later). These are just so dainty and pretty.

Changing it up...

2011-06-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

I dyed my hair today.
Purple.

So I've just spent the past hour watermarking....

2011-06-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

Swatching is time consuming. Watermarking is too. Swatching is semi-necessary (unless y'all want less frequent posts). Watermarking seems entirely pointless until someone steals your pictures. I like swatching. I hate watermarking.

Okay, enough whining.

The point is that, because of the past hour's activities, I have enough pictures to put up here for a few weeks! Y'all ready?

Some recently swatched (and labeled) OPIs, because I find them on sale (Not Like the Movies and No Room for the Blues) frequently, or I just want them. So I keep acquiring more. Guy Meets Gal-Vaston (from the Texas collection) is two coats layered over two coats of Finger Paints Blank Canvas Cream to increase opacity. I did, however, lose the pretty squishy finish because of this layering.

OPI Tickle My France-y

2011-06-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

Plain and simple.

RBL Yellow Fever

2011-06-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

LOVE this. The shimmer is so perfectly summery and the color is perfection. So many compliments throughout the day.

Also, first non-nail art-y post in a while. What do y'all think, should I show more plain swatches?

Rainbow French!

2011-06-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Cute, eh?
I wish the smile lines were neater, but it looked fine in person. (Excuse the green stained middle finger, please)

OMFG GUYS, I HAVE PENGUINS ON MY NAILS

2011-06-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

As always with nail art, ask if you'd like to know colors.
My poor middle finger smudged even further after the pic was snapped, I'm in the process of redoing it.

SO FREAKING CUTE

This polish couldn't have stolen my heart anymore

2011-06-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a new Gaga fan. New as in, until last weekend I had never listened her. Well, now Speechless is the most played song on my iPod, so you can see how things have changed.
So when I went to Nordies with a little extra cash, I knew I needed a Gaga-polish.
And what a polish this is. Bad Romance, purple glitter (hex and small) in a jelly black base. One coat over WnW Night Prowl (wonderful base for this, the glitter matches perfectly).
Stunning.

Summer Nail Art

2011-06-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

I absolutely adore this fun, eclectic nail art.
Rhinestones and glitter and roses, oh my!
Ask if you REALLY want to know colors, this is an old photo and I don't remember off the top of my head.

Some Saturday Spam

2011-05-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

I MISSED MY TWO YEAR BLOG-ANNIVERSARY! I'm actually pretty upset, it happened in the beginning of May. It totally slipped my mind, and by the time I remembered, it was too late! Oh well, there's always next year....
Two years, though. That's a long time. That's a really long time. Two years and several hundred bottles of polish later, where am I? In high school. With a blog that almost has 410 followers. And over 71 THOUSAND hits. And two dogs.
So, a lot has changed.

Now, look at my nails. They're pretty.

A watermarble with SH Mint Sorbet, Mellow Yellow, Lacey Lilac, and Wet Cement. WnW Tickled Pink. Lots of bubbles, I'm a bit out of practice.

ChG Ick-a-body. Lots of compliments, weird, as it is a Halloween color. Which I wore in May. Fail?

Lippmann My Romance. My perfect barely there shade. Boring, yes, but so elegant. After watching the Shopping Channel last night (I'm sick. Bad TV's excusable) I was lusting after the lady-like perfection of a light pink. This isn't opaque enough, but it would be if I added another two coats (I'm at two in the pic). It's darker than my inspiration, which means I need to find a lighter version. Still, I love it.

Color Club Tru Passion (the purple) and Sexy Siren (the blue). My scarf is creeping into the shot. Lovely polishes.

Oliver says hi.

A whole lotta spam

2011-03-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

I'm (almost) back!

2011-03-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

I know I've been gone for a while -three weeks- and I'm not officially back. It's grades again, I got a C in math..... So I'm not allowed on but it's spring break so I'm kinda sorta going to be writing here again.
I cut my nails all down super short, but I don't have any pics of that. Instead, here's an old swatch.

AND THE WINNER IS..........

2011-02-21T18:29:00.000-08:00

Natalielyn!
I'll be emailing you for your address shortly. You have three days, 72 hours, to respond before another winner will be chosen.

Doing this giveaway was really, really exciting for me. I like noticing the details of people, the small things that not everyone sees, like nails, or specific hair styles. Because I notice this in others, I try my best to model it well for myself. Of course, my nails are always painted and NEVER chipped (blegh!), but I never spend enough time on my hair. This is curious as I do try and dress nicely, I wear make-up, I have good posture; all the basics, but I seem to ignore my poor hair!
There is something about straight hair that gives it shine, makes it bounce, and swing around the face beautifully. Currently my hair's too short to straighten, but I find straight hair universally flattering and a nice change on those days you just don't want to throw it up in a ponytail. Natalie's getting the gift of pretty hair (though I'm sure hers is gorgeous already!), but you don't have to miss out just because she won this contest. If you use the coupon code GIVEAWAY10 you can get 10% off of Karmin Products, a great deal for some great hair products.
So, ladies, starting now I vow to treat myself by spending time on more than just my nails, I'm going to style my hair as well. Who's with me? If you need some tools to get started, check out Karmin HERE.

China Glaze White Cap

2011-02-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

Really, really pretty. It got tons of compliments

A bit o' art

2011-02-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

Just playing around with the Milani Nail Art Polishes, I received the silver glitter, yellow, white, and purple glitter. The purple glitter wasn't on my desk while I was messing around, but I'll show y'all it soon. The metallic silver on my middle finger is a bit of ChG Millennium with a nail art brush. The base is Zoya Savita, a matte polish. Two of the fingers have topcoat.
The bow nails are by far my favorite. I may do that with different colors for my mani tomorrow.
Wow! These are pigmented. Seriously, I didn't have to paint over the white any more than the initial coat. The silver glitter was super dense, so it applied thicker than the others. The yellow's pretty, but I don't know how useful it will be. From using these, I've decided that I need the black one. It wasn't sent to me, but I can see myself using it several times a week.

Disclosure: My receiving these polishes did not affect my opinion during trial or review.

None of your beeswax

2011-02-14T22:26:00.000-08:00

Cute, eh?

The boy shattered my heart (11 days post-break up)

2011-02-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

I'm so clever. Like, really. See, I drew a heart. With black shatter. FOR VALENTINES DAY while I'm single. Really, I'm SO clever. No? No? Whatever.
Ask if you want to know any color specifically.

Loving the convenient crack on the thumb.

Dr.'s Remedy

2011-02-10T21:19:00.000-08:00

Three coats each, except Dark Brown, which only needed two.
Before swatching, I was loving Ruby Red, but that one turned out to be the problem child! The formula was a bit too thin for my liking, and it was pretty sheer for a red.
Desire Dark Brown had the best formula out of the trio. It went on with two, thin, smooth coats. And the color, even though I wear more black than brown, was perfection. This is my pick of the bunch.
Healing Heather Grey looks awesome in the bottle. Pretty much just as awesome on the nail too, and I see myself wearing it a lot. Of the three, I know that this has some dupes, but none in my stash.

The colors aren't really what makes the polish line stand out, though they are all SUPER gorgeous. And it isn't the bottle either, which looks very modern and strikingly Chanel-esk. What makes this line special is that it was developed by podiatrists to be good for you! It has all sorts of cool things like tea tree oil to prevent icky fungus.

I haven't worn any of these long enough to test wear, but I know that Heather Grey's going on my nails soon!

These were sent to me for review. I did not factor that in while testing and reviewing them.

Pretty

2011-02-08T22:53:00.000-08:00

This picture is WAY too orange, it's much pinker. The camera doesn't like it, but I do, so it's okay.

More Random Swatches

2011-02-05T23:52:00.000-08:00

A lot of (random) swatches

2011-02-05T20:18:00.000-08:00

All are labeled!

Ki

2011-02-03T18:36:00.000-08:00

Zoya Ki. Three coats? Pretty, very duo-chrome-y.

Lots of Pink (and a purple too!)

2011-01-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

First off, I think I'm really getting this blogging thing down. I have a pose, a watermark, and I really like my background on blogspot. Is there anything that I should change?

The first mani, an unnamed Color Club with ChG Doll House on top, is old and doesn't have my pose. Sorry!

Next was yesterday's mani, Zoya Adina. Beautiful color. Three coats.

Sinful Colors sent me some polish from their new Valentines Day collection to review! I received Scandal and Pink Forever.
Pink Forever is pretty straight forward, a medium cream pink. I can't think of dupes off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are some. Three coats because of balding, which was only due to my hurried swatching. Terrible picture because this would not cooperate for the camera! Silly polish, you're supposed to look just as good on the computer screen as you do on my nails!

Tomorrow's mani is Sinful Colors Scandal. This one SHOCKED me. I expected a bright-to-neon pink. Nothing special or unique. Boy was I wrong. It's a bright pink JELLY! A jelly finish from a drugstore! It's oh-so-gorgeous on. 5 coats to eliminate VNL.

More Roses

2011-01-24T21:29:00.000-08:00

With jewels this time. I have a tutorial but I don't feel like watermarking and labeling right now. I'll do it, if y'all really want.
Ask for colors :)

Roses

2011-01-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

Roses. All freehanded with polish. Ask for specific colors or a tutorial, and you may receive.
I upgraded my watermarking, much better now, eh?

The find of the year

2011-01-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

A holographic OPI My Private Jet. Goes for $40 on eBay, bought for $4 in a nail salon. I almost screamed when I saw it.
And yes, all the pictures were necessary.

We lost.

2011-01-21T19:20:00.001-08:00

A tame polish for an excited teenager

2011-01-20T19:22:00.000-08:00

Zoya Erika. My new favorite light pink. Seriously, this one is stunning on. It's mostly opaque with gorgeous gold and green shimmer. I added SEVERAL close-ups just to (hopefully) adequately capture the beauty. I'm having a pink moment (with several more pink polishes on their way here), and this fit the mood perfectly.
I needed a tame polish because.... TOMORROW'S STATES! Tomorrow is the debate competition that I've been studying for since June. Since September, I've met 5-6 days a week and did over an hour of homework a night. And it's all been for the competition tomorrow. If we win, we'll fly out to Washington DC for Nationals. Wish me luck!

GIVEAWAY

2011-01-19T22:29:00.000-08:00

I know I said I wouldn't, but I got an email with an awesome opportunity that just wasn't for me, so I'm passing it on to you all!
Here's the dealio, there's this straightener, the Karmin, and it costs money. Lots of money. Okay, not lots, but it's in the price-range of a flat iron that is good quality. For $125 this could be yours, and I'm sure you'd be happy. Actually, I think you'd be more than happy because the reviews for this are superb. But, wouldn't you be happier if it cost you $0? Wouldn't you be much happier if you WON IT? And just so you know, the only reason why I'm not taking this one for myself is because my hair is 2 inches long. Yeah, not enough to straighten.

According to HairProductsPro.com, this little straightener can do an awful lot! It uses ionic technology for shiny, smooth hair. It has 1" Pure Tourmaline Ceramic Plates, a perfect size. Let me tell you, I have a straightener at home that's terrible! The plates are huge, which makes it impossible to get close to the scalp for truly straight hair. The small barrel also allows for the user to curl and wave their hair, that's three styling options with just one tool! With a maximum temperature of 450° and a minimum temperature of 180°, it's perfect for all hair types. You know that fried, icky, burnt look from too hot hair tools? Just keep the temp down (it's adjustable! Another thing this flat iron has over mine) unless your hair's really misbehaving.
So do you want it?
Do you really want it?
GOOD! You can win it!
What you need to do:
Follow me with Google Friend Connect (that'd be that little box that says 'Fellow Addicts' on the right sidebar) and enter your email address into the form, it's that easy!
One entry extra for blogging about this, and another one for putting me on your blogroll. I need links in order for the entries to count.
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The deadline is February 11th, so get entering!
(this product was provided to me by Karmin Hair Products. This has not influenced my opinion)

Cool stuff

2011-01-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

SINFUL COLORS INTRODUCES A PRETTY-IN-PINK COLLECTION
Perfect for Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air, romance is in bloom and pink is paramount. Welcome February 14th, a day marked by kisses, sweethearts and flirting, of course. This year, treat your tips to a Valentine’s makeover, coating them in a feminine, delicate, or dynamic shade of pink. From bubble gum to baby doll – and everything in between – Sinful Colors has the best array of pink polish to pretty-you-up for the big day.

The 8 loving shades in the collection include:
Pink Forever: Bazooka meets Bam-Bam to equal beautiful.
Beautiful Girl: Classic ballerina with a flirty finish.
Glass Pink: Sheer, shiny, shimmer-happy bliss.
Boom Boom: Magenta-infused pink, which pops on toes and tips alike.
Scandal: No-nonsense neon, slick and sensational.
Soul Mate: Muted peachy pink with a melon twist.

Sinful Colors surpasses the masses with more than 300 amazing polishes, including the above-mentioned shades. All hues are available at major drug and mass market stores nationwide for $1.99, by calling 1-800-448-0763 or online at www.sinfulcolors.com.
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Okay, for my comments on this collection....
I NEED Glass Pink and Soul Mate, and I'm thinking Beautiful Girl would be really awesome too. I'm having such a pink moment right now, and my collection is sadly lacking. Can't wait to see these in person!

Navy Blue comparison

2011-01-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

2 coats of each.
Pinkie to thumb:
SH Salon Navy Baby
Barry M Navy
RBL Under the Stars
OPI Russian Navy
NYC Navy (idk the real name, the label's gone)
I have quite a few more (ummmmm 20ish total) but I only have five fingers :)
NB and RN are close, both blackened with shimmer, but RN has some red shimmer and is slightly lighter.
BM Navy and NYC Navy are both bluer rather than blacker but NYC has some brush strokes, a problem BM Navy doesn't have.
Under the Stars is unique, it's teal-er with light blue glitter.

I can justify owning all of these. They all have slight differences that make them unique. However, if you're not a navy person (though you should be, it's an awesome, different vampy to be sporting) you need only two or three, a blackened one, a bluer one, and RBL UtS, because glitter is really cool. My choices would be tied for blackened, they're both gorgeous (see, I'm hopeless), BM Navy for bluer, and, of course, UtS for the category that only has UtS.

Lastly, you want to see something impressive? Look at that gap....

Beautiful, right? Well, I do NO clean-up. Nothing. No brush dipped in a bottle of acetone, no softening the skin with lotion. NOTHING. A year and a half of practice is finally paying off, eh?

An important issue

2011-01-14T18:06:00.000-08:00

It has recently been brought to my attention, three times in the past month, that my pictures are being stolen. There are sites that pay per a post and SOMEBODY thinks that it's okay for them to copy my post directly. In at least one of these cases, the person has documented their 'earnings', cameras and luxury make-up. This bothers me. No, that's not the right word... This pisses me off. I work really hard for this blog. I spend a lot of money on polish, I spend time painting my nails and time taking pictures. The fact that other people are PROFITING off of MY work is so, so annoying and WRONG.
If you see any of my pictures floating around anywhere, please, please, please tell me. I can't stand not knowing where photos of my hands are ending up.
I've started watermarking. Ideally, this will help with the theft, but just in case, keep an eye out.
(the color is OPI Extra-va-vaganza)

squee

2011-01-13T21:45:00.000-08:00

Too cute for words.
Or pictures really, as these are the LEAST photogenic nails I've seen in a while. Look at them, now imagine them 100x cuter, yeah, they're like that in real life.
Ask for colors, I used WAY too many to list them all.
As a special treat, I pictured both my left AND right hand :)
The inspiration was a mani from MUA a while ago.

A poor girl's minx

2011-01-11T23:19:00.000-08:00

Love this. ChG Agent Lavender, F21 Salmon, F21 Purple, Ulta Blue Streak, SH Mellow Yellow, and DC Matte Black. BM plate 16.
Though some products were given to me for review, I test all polishes fairly.

Feeling Mellow

2011-01-10T20:27:00.000-08:00

COMPETITION TOMORROW!!! OMFG!!!! Sorry, I had to. It's districts, so nothing big at all, but I really need to do well. I was going to wear my Chanel (Pearl Drop) but my top-coat bubbled on it and was icky, so I settled on this, my favorite pink. It's ChG How About A Tumble, a holo light pink from the Kaleidescope collection. It's a bit too much for competition, I'll have to mattify it to make it subtler.

Meh

2011-01-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

I don't love it.
The base is a random Japanese polish. I used WnW French White Creme, Blazed, and Tickled Pink with some CC pink (the light one from the french collection, my bottle isn't labeled). I used a dotting tool

Chanel.

2011-01-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

Chanel Pearl Drop.
STUNNING. This is the BEST 'professional' polish I own. We have competition on Tuesday and need to be dressed nicely, tomorrow's a dress rehearsal and I need to get this approved, so I'm wearing it. I really hope it brings me lots of luck!
This is three coats of OPI Time-Less is More with one coat of Pearl Drop on top. Icky application is my fault, I was rushing. The large gap on my middle finger is bothersome.

If you're on facebook

2011-01-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

Search and like 'kiesque' and post 'Painted Tips' on the wall.
I'd really appreciate it!
-Allya

Random swatches

2011-01-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

Currently, CC Revvvolution. It's stunning.

I wore this yesterday, ChG Ruby Deer with ChG Ruby Pumps on top. Super pretty.

Essence Underwater version 2. The close-up's bad. I need a better pic of it.

ChG Ick-a-body. This is $2 at Sally's right now, if you want it.

ChG Lemon Fizz. Funny story, I wanted this since it came out, but I never bought it. I was really lemming it a few days ago, I went to Ulta and it was $2! It made me happy. The formula, however, didn't make me happy. Three streaky, icky coats. I think I need to apply it again, but as a full manicure and not in a rush.

Barielle Gelt Me to the Party. FINALLY! A polish that is Hanukah themed. Plus it makes me think of My Fair Lady (get me to the church on time). $2 at Ulta. It looked much redder in real life on than it does in the bottle, but that may have been because it needed another coat.

ChG Zombie Zest. Another from the Halloween collection. Another one on sale for $2. Pick it up if you see it, it's stunning.

ChG Jolly Holly. Two dollars. A bit of a bore.

Orly Galaxy Girl

2011-01-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

A deep maroon-y purple with blue-green and RED-pink shimmer. The red pink isn't often talked about, but if you enlarge the pic in front of the window you'll see it. Pretty, eh? These retail for a lot ($10) but a person at Ulta gave it to me for $3, not on sale!

Lippmann Maneater

2010-12-30T19:28:00.000-08:00

This was a GOP at Nordies with any Lippmann purchase, essentially, it was free. It's so dark it looks black, which I hate. It's actually dark, dark brown. It looks like chocolate syrup.

Random SPAM

2010-12-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

Uh, this is because I'm going to be a horrible person soon and blog infrequently. But it'll only be for a month. No, I'm not trying to bribe you with pretty colors *shifts eyes suspiciously*

RBL Under the Stars

A Franken (Martha Stewart glitters)

Zoya Harlow with topcoat

Revlon Perplex. Sadly, this was the best pic I got (I need to wear this again soon)

Lippmann Supermodel. Super juicy, jelly orange red. LOVE.