Sephora by OPI I'm With Brad

The other night, I went to see the closing performance of a play called Drakul, which was about Dracula. So, naturally, I was inspired to do something vampy with my nails. I went with Sephora by OPI's I'm With Brad, a favorite of mine, from the Autumn and Eve Collection.

Natural lighting.

Artificial lighting.

 

Artificial lighting.

I'm With Brad is a dark base (black? brown? I can't decide) with gorgeous red shimmer. In lower lighting situations, it just looks like a dark color, but when it hits the light right, the red shimmer really shines! I used two coats, and one coat of Seche Vite. The application was great. I actually don't find this one to be thick at all, even though many people find Sephora by OPI polishes to be on the thick side. Maybe I got a good batch?

 

Drakul was inspired by Bram Stoker's novel. It was a long one to sit through (three hours!), but I enjoyed it. The actors were great, and the costuming was awesome. Click on the picture above to see a couple other images.

Because I'm bored, here's a few other vampire related things:

This episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark scared the crap out of me as a kid. Still a little creepy.

Perhaps my favorite video on YouTube. Never gets old. Check out those awesome dance moves. Cape twirl!

Happy Monday!

Sinful Colors Mint Apple

Happy Friday! Today I'm wearing Mint Apple by Sinful Colors.

This baby is a really lovely light jade green, with silver shimmer that sometimes reflects gold, depending on the lighting. I used three coats for this. If applied thicker, it could probably be good to go in two coats. The application was flawless - no issues whatsoever. These pictures are all in natural lighting, and have one coat of Seche Vite on top. The air bubble on my middle finger is from the Seche. :/

Sinful Colors really is a great brand. Two buxxx, great colors, wonderful application. What more could I ask for?

Colors like this remind me of vintage cars in cascade green, like this beaut:

 I don't even have my license, but if someone were to offer my this car, I would run out that same day and take the test! I will also accept a hot greaser behind the wheel of this car to drive me around. Actually, I think I'd prefer that one.

It also reminds me of vintage Melmac dishes, which at the time were cheap, but now are terribly overpriced at thrift stores.

These are a little more blue, obviously, but you get the point. I have a couple cups in this color. Super cute!

This polish also reminds me of the Chinese jade artwork at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Again, not an exact color match, but this is a freaking sculpture of mountains made of jade! It's a million times more gorgeous in real life!

(As before, the "inspiration" images were found on Google, and link back to their original source.)

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Rimmel Stiletto Red

I LOVE reds. I love vampy reds, bright reds, jellies, cremes, glitters - you name it! Reds are bright enough to be noticeable, but still "normal" enough that people won't look at you like, What in the hell do you have on your nails, grrrl?! Not that I don't love me some weirdo colors, 'cause I do. But reds just hold a special place in my heart.

I recently picked up Rimmel's Stiletto Red. Rimmel's bottles are very aesthetically pleasing. I love their square shape, and the cute little crown on top of the cap. I also love their brush. It's different than any brush I've seen, and I find it much easier to use.

I used two coats, and the application was great. I think this is a creme, with jelly qualities. It dried quickly, to a nice shiny finish. I can see myself reaching for this polish a lot in the future.

Bright red polish like this always makes me feel a little saucy, like a pin-up girl from the 1950s. It also reminds me of sailors, and other nautical goodies. It makes me think of my heroine, Bettie Page.

It also makes me think of Mary Kate Olsen, who I freaking love. I just want to hang out with her for a day.

 

And, lastly, this red makes me think of Rihanna's hot hot hot hair.

Check out those nails!

What do you think of having these "inspiration" photos in posts? I sorta like it, and think I may continue it in the future. Probably not in every post, because quite frankly I am too lazy for that shit. But it's fun to do on days that I am feeling bored and need a little something extra to waste my time with.

(Click on each photo to go to the original source. I found all of these on Google.)

A few older nail art looks

Every once in a while, this blog will probably show some nail art. I don't do it very often, but sometimes I can't help it when the mood strikes.

I'm bored, so I have decided to post some older looks that I did. The pictures were taken with Photo Booth, so they aren't good quality by any means, but you will still get the gist.

I LOVE nautical shit! Blue: Sally Hansen Blue Me Away! Red: Sephora by OPI And a Cherry on Top. Yellow: Sally Hansen Mellow Yellow. White: N.Y.C. French White Tip.

Cute little Pee Wee Herman-esque tuxedos! White: N.Y.C. French White Tip. Silver: Sephora by OPI Queen of Everything. Red: OPI Thanks So Muchness!

Half-moon mani. I love this look! Revlon Royal.

These gems are from a Hello Kitty nail kit I found at Target. The white is N.Y.C. French White Tip.

You'll probably be seeing normal manis with these polishes at some point in the future. That is, if I can ever get through all the new polishes I've purchased...

Sonia Kashuk Rock Star

Last night, I found a few bottles of nail polish on sale at Target. I tried out Rock Star by Sonia Kashuk first.

Natural lighting.

Natural lighting.

Flash.

As you can see, Rock Star is a deep indigo. I found the finish to have qualities of both cremes and jellies. The first coat was very translucent and spotty, and was surprised to find that it evened out perfectly with the second coat. I was sure this was going to be a three-coater. On the nail, it looks like a creme, but I think it has some of the "squishy" qualities of a jelly.

The color of this is awesome. An almost-black that shows more purple in brighter light, but also can look navy blue. The application was great: not too thick, not too runny.

Please ignore the tip shrinkage. I didn't get a chance to photograph this last night, and when I woke up this morning, Seche Vite had its way with the polish. Oh, Seche - I love you, but I hate you.

Minnesota is supposed to get hit with yet another huge snow storm today. I hope wherever you are, the weather is nicer than it is here!

OPI What's with the Cattitude?

I tried to fix the chipping of Caribbean Frost, which was a mistake. It just made things worse. The sides started to curl up, so I gave up and just took it off. It was such a nice day out today, so I decided on the bright and fun What's with the Cattitude? from OPI's Shrek collection.

The application of this was not too great. It was thick and gloopy, and only got worse the longer the bottle was open. Part of my troubles were likely due to the fact that my bottle is a mini, and the brush is teeny tiny.  It needed three coats to even out and get rid of the streaks. These pictures are three coats, plus one coat of Seche Vite.

It's totally worth it to deal with the application process, because this is such a gorgeous color. The sky blue is perfect for spring.

It's been so nice out lately, and I hope it stays that way. Today I went for a run and walked to the grocery store. It's was so nice to be outside and not have to wear my heavy jacket.

Just a little early afternoon rant

 

 

 

 

I really don’t believe in abortion. It’s, like, killing a baby? - Justin Bieber


These two links happened to show up on my Facebook newsfeed today (click on the picture to go to the first link). I know this is just a nail polish blog, and not a political blog, but considering how many people have purchased his line of polishes, I found it appropriate.

I've never paid Justin Bieber any attention before, really. He's just not on my radar. I had nothing against him, but I'm not a 12 year old girl, and I don't listen to the radio, so he's never been someone I've paid any attention to.

But I mean, come on, really?! Your anti-choice sentiments are not needed, nor appreciated, JB. You are a white male. You will never become pregnant. You don't know what it's like to be a woman in a rape culture. "Everything happens for a reason"? Are you shitting me? I know that he's young, but when I was his age, I knew that every woman should have control over her own body.

UGHHH!

This is so infuriating, that I can't even form an appropriate response.

Glad I never picked up any of his nail polishes.

Wet N Wild Caribbean Frost

Last week, I went on a nail polish hunt at CVS after a freezing cold walk to the post office. I picked up a few colors, and today I decided I wanted to wear a bright color, so I chose the Wet N Wild polish I bought.

Caribbean Frost is from the Wild Shine collection, and is very appropriately named. At least, I'm assuming this is what the waters in the Caribbean look like! This is a blue-green frost, leaning more towards the green side.

The application was great - much better than what I'd expect from such an inexpensive brand. I used two coats, and the coverage was even. It's a little brush stroke-y, but I was expecting that. It dried quickly. Overall, I have no complaints: pretty color, no application issues, and cheap!

All the pictures were taken in natural light.

Also, please excuse the owies on my thumb and ring finger. I had a doctor's appointment this morning, which was both anxiety-inducing and boring (seriously, the majority of my appointment was waiting for the doctor to come in). Anxiety plus boredom is a lethal combination for my fingers, as they both lead to incessant picking. This habit seems impossible to break!

EDIT: Day 2, and there is already significant chipping. Bummer!

OPI Do You Think I'm Tex-y?

Do You Think I'm Tex-y? is a berry-pink jelly from OPI's new Texas collection.

I haven't seen the greatest feedback about the Texas collection, but I actually was pretty excited about some of the colors. Mostly I was excited about the jellies (or sorbets, as OPI is calling them). When I first saw Ya'll Come Back Ya Hear?, the orange jelly in the collection, I knew I had to have it. Since I just had on an orange, I decided to try out the pink first. Plus, Valentine's Day is coming up, so I found it appropriate.

One coat, artificial lighting.

Two coats, artificial lighting.

Three coats, artificial lighting.

Three coats, flash.

I have a tendency to paint my nails at night, so I have no natural lighting pictures yet. The nail polish is actually a bit more purple than my camera was able to pick up. I'm hoping to photograph this manicure tomorrow in natural sunlight, and maybe that will provide more color accurate images.  As always, the application of this OPI polish was great.

I don't really get the hate for this collection. I'll agree that a lot of the jellies are too similar in color, but I think the jelly finish is fun and different. I guess it's not the most ideal for people who can't stand visible nail line, but that's not a problem for me obviously. There's something about the jelly polishes that have a warm weather feel, so I think they work well in this collection. I hope OPI continues making jellies, and expands the color range for them.

But I also hate that freaking black shatter finish that everyone is raving about, so what do I know?

EDIT:

Natural lighting.

No sunlight, but here's a crappy, out of focus picture of Do You Think I'm Tex-y? in natural lighting.

Nicole by OPI Fresh Squeezed

The other night, I was at Target and noticed some Nicole by OPI polishes on clearance. They were all around $5. I picked up two of them, and today I tried Fresh Squeezed, which was part of the Spring 2010 collection.

I've got a soft spot for Nicole by OPI. My mom used to buy me them when I was younger, because my name is Nicole, and I was drawn to the fun colors and glitter as a kid. But I haven't used one in years, so I'm interested to see how they wear.

 

I was initially drawn to it because of the duochrome glass-like flecks in it. In the bottle, they shimmer yellow, orange, and pink - and even lime green at the right angle. Unfortunately, that doesn't translate too well on the nail. And it translates even worse on camera. I had such a hard time photographing this lacquer. The sun is finally out, so I thought I'd have an easy time, but apparently not. Really, the best images I got that showed off the duochrome were in the shade.

 The polish is jelly-like, so it is fairly translucent. I used three coats, and still have a couple bald spots. The bald spots don't bother me that much because of the sparkle. Seriously, this polish looks so cool. Even though the duochrome doesn't translate well on the nail, the shimmer is still gorgeous - especially in sunlight. Even when it is not in direct sunlight, this stuff glows!

Despite my difficulties with getting good photos of this stuff, I am really pleased with it. I can't stop looking at my nails. I can't wait to show this off in the summer, when the sun is really shining!

American Apparel Passport Blue

Here's the second of three American Apparel colors I own, Passport Blue. Basically all of the nail polish bloggers out there have raved about American Apparel polish, so this is a bit redundant, but I really do like these polishes. Like Office, the application of this was great. Color-wise, this is totally me. I love "almost black" colors, and this definitely fits that bill. I've got a little bit of tip wear after the second day, but that's par for the course for me. I used two coats.

Indoor lighting, no flash.

Indoor lighting, with flash.

Natural lighting, no flash.

Unfortunately, the sun is still MIA, so I haven't been able to get a photo in the sunlight. Summer, where are you?! But, I think these photos still show that in a lot of lighting situations, the color appears black, and if it's bright enough, you can tell it's actually a navy blue.

Also, I'm playing around with the style of my photos. I actually used my DSLR for these guys, even though I really need to get a better lens for it. I tried to up the contrast a bit more, since Blogger likes to wash out my photos. I think I like the square format of these images better than my previous ones.

On the bright side, I think my nails and cuticles look loads better in these photos than in my previous ones.

The last AA color I have to use is Manila. I also purchased a couple Nicole by OPI colors last night that I am excited to try!

American Apparel Office & Love & Beauty Light Green

Last night, I got together with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. We went to a raw and vegan restaurant, where I got a super good taco salad. When I got home, I relaxed and painted my nails while watching "That 70s Show".

Here's Forever 21's brand of nail polish, Love & Beauty (which looks like it's by the L.A. Girl people) over American Apparel's Office. The F21 polish only has the name "Light Green" on it.

 As you can see, Light Green is a green base, with small green glitter, and larger flakes of glitter. The flakes shine red, orange, yellow, and green. The application was smooth, and I used two coats. For $2.80, I can't complain. It looks cool, and it went on nicely. I haven't tried it by itself yet, and I haven't done much of anything but sleep while it's on, so we'll see what it wears like.

I just wish the stupid sun would come out, so I can get better pictures of it. I took tons of photos, and none of them came out too well. Oh, the joys of winter in Minnesota.

My goal for the future is to get my cuticles in better shape, and to also stop picking at the sides of my nails. Which is going to be incredibly difficult, as I've done it as long as I can remember. It's a nervous habit, a bored habit, an I-have-nothing-better-to-do habit... It doesn't really bother me when I look at my hands, but looking at these photos, I realize just how disgusting my hands do look. Ugh.

Intro & American Apparel Office

So, mostly out of boredom I have decided to create a nail polish blog. I have always been into nail polish, but over the past six months or so, I have become obsessed. My collection is not nearly as large as a lot of the other polish bloggers out there, but it is rapidly growing.

For my first post, I'll show a polish I just purchased yesterday: Office, by American Apparel.

Sunlight.

Shade.

Lighting in my bathroom.

The color is somewhere in between the sunlight picture, and the bathroom lighting picture. It is my first American Apparel polish, and I like it quite a bit. The application was nice. I used two coats.

Also, please note that my cuticles do NOT look as terrible as they do in these pictures. Mostly that is just pieces of Seche Vite that have not come off yet. However, my cuticles are not in the best of shape. That is one thing I plan to work on.

I can't wait for this dreadful winter to be over. This lack of good sunlight is killing me.