China Glaze 2NITE & the earthquake in Japan

I was supposed to work on this post last Friday but recent events have me preoccupied. Meaning, I've been anxiously watching the news since Thursday night. But pictures first.

China Glaze 2NITE, sun


Not much to say other than its gorgeous linear holo from the OMG collection. Two coats without a base coat. I still wish I had ordered more of them. *sigh*



Not much about polish in this post, sorry about that. I'm going to talk about the earthquake in Japan now so feel free to stop here if you want.

When we first heard of the massive earthquake in Japan, Mr. Kitty and I worried about the possibilities and sure enough a tsunami was generated. My heart went out to the people in Japan because here in Hawaii we have seen what tsunami can do.

I spent the weekend first worrying because we were under a tsunami warning ourselves and all coastal areas had been evacuated. I'm fortunate that we don't live near the coast but we know people who do. I didn't sleep Thursday night, partially because of trying to keep up with the news and mostly because the tsunami warning sirens were sounding every hour until impact (there is one near our house). We were lucky here on the Big Island, while there was some damage (and a few destroyed houses) on the west side, no one lost their life. The rest of the weekend I spent trying to keep up with what was happening in Japan.

Mr. Kitty and I have friends in Japan and friends here from Japan who have family still in Japan. Emails were sent and phone calls were made trying to find out if everyone is okay. Its was nerve-wracking as more and more information was made available of the scope of destruction. We finally heard from our friends, which was a relief, but I can't help but feel distraught for all the people who are still struggling. Please understand if my heart isn't in posting right now.

China Glaze Let's Do It in 3-D

Remember how I said I was skipping over some posts to show you the new Color Clubs I got? Well, it's time to go back! And oh my gosh I forgot how short I had cut my nails...for your viewing pleasure, some holo-rific sparkle!

China Glaze Let's Do It in 3-D, sun


Do I need to tell you about this color? I mean look at it! What more needs to be said?! (Except that it's from the Kaleidoscope collection and is discontinued...why, China Glaze, why??)

China Glaze Let's Do It in 3-D, two coats


I wish we could all find that special store that time forgot and buy the polishes we missed. I wish I had ordered more from this collection when it was available. Silly me I thought I'd get around to it. *facepalm*

Color Club The Lime Starts Here

Quickie post today! Lost of things going on around here (some good and some bad) and I really should be getting ready for work but...well. You're more important! Remember how Mr. Kitty ordered me polish for Valentine's Day? This is another of those polishes, this one from the scented Sweet Temptations Collection by Color Club.

Color Club The Lime Starts Here, daylight lamp


The Lime Starts Here is a pretty standard lime neon green (and yum, I love neon green!) that has a sweet sugary scent, very candy-like. Skittles came to mind when I put this on-- the candy, of course! I worried about the scent because some of these scented-type polishes are too strong and give me a headache, but this one didn't bother me at all.



I used three coats of polish with a base and top coat, but no "underwear" polish. Application was a little streaky on the first coat but the second coat settled nicely and the third coat was to build opacity.



There's probably a dupe for this color out there, possibly even one from Color Club. They have a great line of neons. The real draw to this one is the fun of wearing a scented polish. Of course, after a day of wearing it I just couldn't leave it alone and...

Color Club The Lime Starts Here with China Glaze Broken Hearted, sunlight


...yeah, Mr. Kitty got me Crackle polishes too! I still wanted unadulterated green so I left one nail as an accent. After applying the crackle and another layer of top coat, you could still smell The Lime Starts Here. (Once it dried, I mean. Please don't sniff your wet top coat! xD)

What do you think, yay or nay for scented polish?

St Patrick Contest from Color Club

So I just got this in my email and I thought I'd share it with you! Color Club is holding a nail art contest on Facebook:

St Patrick Contest from Color Club

Art Club Sprinkles

Is your heart set on finding the end of the rainbow? How about a Color Club Collection instead!


Art Club Sprinkles

Are you seeing stars in your future? Become a Color Club winning 'Star' ! See details below!

Color Club/Art Club is having a contest to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! From March 2 to March 14th post your St. Patrick's Day themed nail art on our facebook page with the winner being announced on St. Patrick's Day March 17th! We are looking for the most creative and best use of decals, appliques and free-hand nail art! Can't wait to see what everyone has to show! The winner gets a Wicked Sweet Color Club Collection.


What do you think? Look interesting? If you want to check it out, you can visit their Facebook here.

Color Club Wink, Wink, Twinkle

Okay! So far today you've seen Otherworldly and Space Case from Color Club's new Starry Temptress collection. The last one I have to show you is the seriously neon purple Wink, Wink, Twinkle. I admit, when I was choosing polishes to order I wavered between this one and the green. Wink, Wink, Twinkle won because I thought the name was cute. xD

Color Club Wink, Wink, Twinkle; daylight lamp


Like the others, this is a neon with silver oh-so-faintly-holo glitter. The purple base is semi-opaque and the glitter causes a bumpy texture when dry. So don't forget your top coat! You'll be wanting it anyhow to make that neon shiny.



Looking back at my notes, this was two coats of color (no base). Sadly, purple neon freaks my camera out. In the bottle and on the nail the color is a shade darker than shown here. You can see some of that bumpiness I was talking about on my middle finger below.



Overall, I'm glad I got these. I do want the other three colors in the collection and I'm curious about the Starry Temptress top coat, but I think I'll wait a bit and stalk the local Ross before I go ahead and make another order. There have been reports of the Altar Ego sets showing up there already so who knows? Maybe I can snag a Starry Temptress set without having to pay for shipping. Thanks for reading!

Color Club Space Case

This morning I showed you Color Club Otherworldly from the Starry Temptress collection. Now I've got Space Case for your viewing pleasure.

Color Club Space Case, daylight lamp


Space Case is not a jelly like Otherworldly was. While still neon, Space Case is more of a pearly bright pink with the same silver glitter. Because the base is more opaque, the glitter doesn't have that sinking-into-the-polish effect that Otherworldly has.



The texture of Space Case is also much more bumpy than Otherworldly was. Even with generous application of top coat, some bumpiness is still visible. Opacity is good though, this is two coats of color (no base).



Again, I don't think I have another polish like this in my collection. I do wish it were a jelly like Otherworldly and have a feeling that the fuschia pink in this collection would have been more to my liking. Anyhow, stay tuned for Wink, Wink, Twinkle!

Color Club Otherworldly

There aren't many swatches of Color Club's new Starry Temptress collection so I'm skipping over some other posts I was working on to show you this one. Mr. Kitty ordered me polish for V-day (he's such an enabler!) and I chose a few from Color Club's new collections because I was curious.

Color Club Otherworldly, daylight lamp


Otherworldly is a neon blue jelly with silver holographic glitter mixed in. The holo does not really show up well, indoors it looks almost like white glitter in a jelly base. This is 2 coats without a base coat. I did apply a top coat because it is matte (as most neon polishes are) when dry and has a bumpy texture.



Here's a closer bottle pic. If you click for the bigger picture you can see how subtle the holo is. Strong sunlight might draw out the holo more, but I think it's better to just consider it a silver glitter.



I rather like Otherworldly. I definitely don't have another polish like it. In retrospect, I wish I had ordered the Starry Temptress Top Coat. I want to know how it changes the overall look of these polishes. I do have 2 more from this collection to post, Space Case and Wink, Wink, Twinkle. I'll be posting those later today.

Zoya Yasmeen

Zoya Yasmeen is the most perfect plum shimmer I have. I can't believe I left this untried for so long. I must be cracked in the head, right? I wish the sun were out so you could fully see how gorgeous this is.



Two wonderful coats. Perfectly smooth. Lovely even coats. Excellent pigmentation. Am I gushing?



I'm gushing. I can't help it. I love this polish. I want to buy a bottle for my sister so she can love it too. I want to lick it off my nails. I'm...being weird. Okay, I'll stop now. I have to go stare at my nails anyway. ;)

Sinful Colors Hilo Hawaii

Okay, I'm done wallowing now. I'm still sad (refer to my last post for why) but I'm not weepy every time I think of Tom-cat now. I want to thank you for your kind words, they really helped me out when I was down. Y'all are the best! So let's look at some polish! Today's is an old one and I've never seen again since the day I bought it on eBay. But don't worry, you're not missing much. This is one that I bought for the name alone. I love polishes with Hawaii-related names!

Sinful Colors Hilo Hawaii, lamplight


Top of the bottle pic 'cause I'm tickled that it's named for a town on the island I live on. Usually the Oahu towns/beaches get that privilege. Hilo is pronounced HEE-low. *does a little dance*



This was three coats and its still streaky and uneven. I was swatching so I didn't use a base or top coat but I remember from the first time I tried it that even with a base it was streaky. The polish was also thick and goopy, possibly due to the age of it. I thinned it a bit but...*shrug*. Like I said, I keep it for the name only. I do like this shade of blue but I'd be happier if it was more of a shimmer or a cream and less frost-ish.



Next time: a gorgeous Zoya and after that something new!

Misa Blueberry Glaze

I've had a rough time since my last post but I'll talk more about that after the polish. This polish is an old one from Misa that unfortunately is discontinued but still pops up on eBay and blog sales.
Misa Blueberry Glaze


I had a ding that was bugging me on my index finger so I covered it up. Sorry about that!



I didn't use a base coat or top coat since I was swatching that day. Polish consistency was very thin as older polish can be but the color built up nicely. This was three coats of color.

I had more to say but my thoughts have deserted me. I've been distracting myself by creating fantasy carts at various polish etailer and keeping tabs on the nail care board at MakeupAlley but simmering under it all is depression.

Last month I told you my Tommy-cat was very sick and then we tried a new medication that seemed to be working. Sadly it was only a brief respite because last week he health went downhill again and on Friday I had to make the difficult decision to have him euthanized. His kidneys were failing and anything more I tried would only prolong his life as he slowly starved to death. I still feel overwhelmed and guilty. I miss my baby.


Thomas 2001-2011

China Glaze Sneaker Head

China Glaze, I love how you love me! (Seriously, I get some of my best wear time from China Glaze. I wish it were so for everyone...) Today I have for you another polish released a while back, this one from the Summer 2009 Kicks Collection.

China Glaze Sneaker Head, "daylight" lamp


(Sad, I had to break out the lamp because of no sun...*sigh*)



Sneaker Head is a light reddish creme (or pinkish-red? you decide!) that applied well in two coats. Polish consistency was smooth with an easy flow and self-leveling. My base and top coat were the usual NailTek Foundation II and Poshe.

Orly Wild Wisteria

I don't have too many Orly nail polishes but what I do have I love. This one is no exception. Wild Wisteria is from the Spring 2010 Bloom collection. Sadly my pictures are not quite color accurate. Purples are so vexing to photograph! Imagine it a touch less blue.

Orly Wild Wisteria, shade




Wild Wisteria is a rich grape creme and very pigmented. This is two coats but I almost got away with one. Dreamy application with very little cleanup required. I love polishes that stay where you put them. Let's see...base coat was Nail Tek II Foundation and top coat was Poshe Fast Drying. Wear time was excellent: according to my notes, 5 days with no chipping, only minor tipwear. Perhaps longer if I hadn't felt the need to change colors. =)

Barielle Blossom

Barielle Blossom is my new favorite peach. It feels delicate and fresh. I didn't want to take it off. (And then things happened and I ended up wearing it for weeks. It held up pretty well too; the only major chip was on my dominant hand pointer finger.)

Barielle Blossom, shade


Two careful coats of Blossom over a ridge filling base coat and topped with a coat of Poshe.

Barielle Blossom, sun


Application was good. The polish consistency was a little thick, which worried me, but the second coat settled very well. While I don't mind doing multiple coats, polish that is opaque in two coats is always a plus!

Barielle Elle's Spell

For Christmas this year my husband gave me Barielle. (Well, he gave me the money and told me to go pick out colors I wanted, lol). I'd never tried Barielle before and the timing was just right because I was all aflutter over Elle's Spell from the Holiday Hustle collection.

Barielle Elle's Spell over SH Celeb City


I chose to layer Elle's Spell over Celeb City because I wanted to see how the shimmer would shine through the red jelly base. Click for the bigger picture, it's beautiful.



This was two moderate coats of Elle's Spell over one coat of Sally Hansen Celeb City.



Sadly my Poshe top coat caused slight shrinkage. But I'm blaming the weather. ;)



I'm glad I ordered a backup bottle. This polish is so beautiful alone or layered. Absolutely no application issues...I have a feeling I'll be posting about this one again.

Born Pretty Cracking Polish

I finally feel ready to get back into the swing of things so I have several posts lined up for you! With all the talk of OPI's new Black Shatter I thought I'd show you another option that's been around for a little while now.

I was contacted by Jessica from Born Pretty about reviewing some nail art products. I chose the cracking polish because I've never tried one.

Born Pretty Cracking Polish in Blue
over Sally Hansen Celeb City


Another picture so you can see both sides of the bottle.



Directions for use on the website are a little unclear. Of course I didn't think to check for directions the first time and applied the cracking polish to my already dry & top-coated manicure. Watching the cracks form was so cool. And then they dried up and flaked off. Oh noes! I figured maybe I should read the directions. =)

According to the Born Pretty website you should wait about 5 minutes after applying your base color and then apply the cracking polish. The length of time is really going to depend on how fast your base color dried, the temperature, etc. So you want to apply while your polish is slightly dry but not completely. This will help it to adhere better. Don't forget to apply top coat when it's done cracking! (I used Poshe.) The thinness or thickness of your coats will determine the size and quantity of your cracks. I used one thin coat for this picture. Overall I was happy with the effect. I like that the blue is not opaque; this allowed the shine of Celeb City to to show through.

Right now Born Pretty is offering the coupon code OPENTENOFF that will give you a 10% discount when ordering. This code is good through Jan 31st.

*The product featured in this post was provided for review.

Stash Un-organization

While downloading my backlog of nail photos from my camera, I came across these stash pictures I took the last time I tried (and failed!) to reorganize.


Blogger does not want to accept a rotated version of this. =/


Hmmm...I seemed to have missed two more shoebox containers from under the computer and my train case (which holds my Zoyas and SH Turquoise Opal).



I think someone had asked to see my stash once...so here it is in all it's disorganized glory. I'm having trouble deciding on how I want it organized. Half of me (the OCD half) wants it by brand so all the same bottle shapes are together (and it mostly is...sorta). The other half want to go by color so I can remember what the heck I have. And a tiny voice was suggesting a purge, but she's locked in a closet now. How do you organize? Brand, color or something else?

Introducing Color Club Alter Ego

I know you've probably seen this already, but I still want to share. This spring Color Club presents us with the 12-shade Alter Ego collection:


Alter Ego!

Color Club lets you create high-fashion looks for every identity with Alter Ego, their latest collection of diverse, long-lasting lacquers!

Alter Ego’s consists of 12 shades! Go incognito with our opaque shades or rendezvous in full view with our sheers of Alter Ego ‘LIGHTS’ and ‘DARKS’!

Alter Ego’s ‘Reveal Your Mystery Collection’ 7 piece salon pack includes Get a Clue, Revealed, Incognito, Secret Rendezvous, Sheer Disguise, and Give Me a Hint shades plus Milky White Base Coat. Their ‘Keep It Undercover Collection’ 7 piece salon pack includes Alter Ego, Secret Agent, Total Mystery, Alias, Ulterior Motive and Masquerading plus Vivid Top Coat.




I'm very excited to see this collection in person! I love that it combines pastels with rich, bold colors. Springtime for me isn't just about Easter and blooming flowers; it's also the last snow on the mountain, wild out-of-nowhere thunderstorms and the rich scent of the earth being turned over. It's warm and wet and thrilling. It's watching the ocean shift in color from bright turquoise to pale shimmery gray as spring rains roll over. The shades in Alter Ego will satisfy my whimsical moods. And the duochrome? *fans self* Instant lust. If they're anything like Wild and Willing from the Wild at Heart collection, I'm buying back-ups.

So...my favorites from Reveal Your Mystery are Secret Rendezvous and Sheer Disguise. I'm also curious about the Milky White Base Coat. I'm still in search of a good "underwear" polish for sheers that works for me. My favorites of Keep It Undercover are Alter Ego, Alias, Ulterior Motive and Masquerading. I can hardly wait! What colors interest you?

Update #2

Quickly, before I head off to work:

My grandma is doing better and is out of the hospital. She's in a nursing home right now for therapy and will hopefully be able to return home soon. My Tommy-cat responded better to the new antibiotic and I'm cautiously optimistic that he will recover as well. Thank you all for your support and patience!

Update...

My first post of the new year and its a depressing one. Sorry...

This is my Tommy-cat. He never looks at the camera.


He's been very ill since the year started. Today the veterinarian prescribed a new medicine that will hopefully make him feel better and start eating again. He hasn't eaten anything for about a week now. My grandmother is also ill and because she lives so far away there is nothing I can do but wait for someone to call and keep us updated about her condition. Sometimes living on an island is not fun, not when it makes traveling so costly.

I want to apologize because I'm afraid I haven't thought about this blog or polish while I've been preoccupied with my Tommy-cat. Even as I type this I looked down and realized I've had the same polish on since Christmas (Barielle Blossom, and hey it's held up pretty well. Aside from some major chipping on one finger it's still intact). Thank you all for sticking with me and I hope to have better news next time.