O.P.I. Act Your Beige! & Petal Soft

MOAR FLOWERS!

I make the mistake of letting the Soft Shades go by me every year, then around six months later regretting it and scrabbling around trying to get my mitts on them. Not so this year...I bought them ALL. Even the frosty silvery gold that everyone is complaining about (spoiler: I LOVE it). One I even bought a back up of. 

Here's Act Your Beige! and Petal Soft. I've noticed flower glitter is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. It's freaking adorable. I did one coat, and the flower glitters came out in a huge glob. On my honor. I've been reading reviews about how people have had to fish them out and anyone who says it's easy to get them out is a liar...I can only assume that I've had dumb luck a couple times. I wore it about a week ago over one of my favorite O.P.I.'s ever and got lucky then too, as you can see on my Instagram...3 flowers just came out in one huge glob. I'm curious whether I will get lucky a third time...I'm going to try layering it over Care To Danse? later this month. 

Act Your Beige! isn't a unique color, but gorgeous nonetheless. It looks like a white/beige in the bottle, but seems to read more pinky-white on me, though perhaps it's the pink glitters in Petal Soft bringing the pink tones out. Either way, lovely combo. And I could wax idiotic about the brush. It's the same size all the O.P.I. brushes are, but somehow softer and more pliable, which you need with sheers and jellies to avoid streaks. 

I did four coats of Act Your Beige! and one coat of Petal Soft, which has soft, slightly satiny hex glitters in pink and white, in addition to the cute white flowers. Probably my favorite Soft Shades glitter since Pirouette My Whistle. Nothing could ever top PMW for me, but Petal Soft is giving it a run for its money. 

Birthday Mani: Maybelline Neutral Statement & O.P.I. My Favorite Ornament

Sorry about the lighting in these pictures. Sadly it will only keep getting worse, so I have no idea how I will do any of my holiday manicures justice. 

I'm 28 today!! Since I didn't even acknowledge my birthday last year, I'm making up for it this year. I'm going to spend the day with my family today, have an amazing dinner tonight, and tomorrow night I'm off to downtown L.A. with my boyfriend, bestie, and her husband. We'll eat at Canter's, squeal over Christmas decorations at the Farmer's Market, and more than likely I will buy bon bon's from See's and possibly a very expensive pair of shoes. I will also wear a freaking amazing bow in my hair. 

I also worked up the courage to try a ruffian accent nail, which I think I nailed (heh). If I'd known how easy they are to do, I'd have been wearing them constantly. I used a base of Maybelline Neutral Statement, which looks better in real life than it does in the pictures-the sun sort of warmed up the color too much-there's less beige and more pink-white in it. There's also some sparse deep coppery-gold sparkle that you can detect close up, but fades into the background at arms' length. 

My Favorite Ornament is one of my favorite pale gold glitters. Expect to see it over and over in the next month. 

The formula on Neutral Statement wasn't the greatest-a more patient painter could have gotten away with 3 coats, but I did four to even out the streaks. My Favorite Ornament was flawless (no surprise there) at 2 thin coats. 

Essie Take It Outside

Halloween's only a day away, but I'm just not really in the spirit of it this year. I should be, since I go basically ape shit over Halloween, but I'm just sort of tired. I've decided not to decorate or hand candy out, which was a tough decision because I really hate to be that house, but it's just too much money and effort right now. Instead, my boyfriend and I are opting to eat pizza, drink cider, and watch old horror movies. If there's one thing my friends and loved ones know about me, it's that I love love love old movies. I keep the t.v. in my bedroom on Turner Classic Movies almost all the time. He's not the biggest fan, but he's sweet enough to indulge me. Pretty cuddly too.

I'll try to rustle up something for the 31st, but for right now I needed a soft, quiet color. I always look forward to the taupes in fall Essie collections, and Take It Outside is, in my opinion, the best taupe Essie has done since Miss Fancy Pants. It's like nothing I have, and I've got a LOT of neutral, taupe polish. It's very greyed out, with a bit of a pink-white undertone. It's perfection. 

The formula was perfect, I only needed two coats for opaqueness, and it self-leveled beautifully. 

MAC Uninvited

Hello friend, do you have a moment to talk about our Lord and Savior, Maleficent, today?

I wanted to wait until my nails were in better shape (and longer) to wear this color, but since Maleficent came out yesterday and I bawled my way through it with my best friend and a hundred pounds of popcorn, candy, and soda, I thought I should put it on now and bludgeon whatever readers I have with my hysterical enthusiasm for the movie. I plan on going to see it again as soon as I have some free time. I haven't seen a movie twice in the theaters since Lord of the Rings. 

Lately, I've been a movie fiend. Normally I'm perfectly content to wait until they come out on DVD (or even on Netflix)...what can I say, I'm a lazy loser. But lately everything coming out is something I'd practically pee myself to see in theaters over and over. Godzilla. X-Men. Maleficent. Guardians of the Galaxy. 2nd Sin City. Be still my beating EVERYTHING. 

Maleficent was wonderful. I'm not qualified in the least to review movies and shows I watch because my suspension of disbelief is so strong and my innocence almost perfectly intact. I am that perfect, ignorant moviegoer. It made me laugh and cry and squeal and flail (quietly) and to be perfectly honest, is STILL making me tear up. All I have to do is think about Angelina Jolie saying, "Hello Beastie", and I'm off again.

I will say though, I was SUPER TERRIFIED it would end up like OZ The Great and Powerful. I cried in that one too, but only because I had to watch one of my favorite childhood characters get butchered by James Franco.

Maleficent is nothing like that; I would even go so far as to say it was better than Frozen, and is probably the best Disney film ever made. Frankly I'm surprised the critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes is only at 50%. I've never put much stock in film critics, but it's sad to see such a good movie with a strong female lead and an absence of unrealistic romance be so under-appreciated. The Evil Queen got her day in Once Upon a Time; learning Maleficent's back story was just as satisfying. And yes, it is NOT canon, but we knew that from the first line of the movie. 

Uninvited is a beautiful nude beige with subtle, silvery, shimmer. There is some almost imperceptible green shimmer as well (I see what you did there MAC) that adds dimension. MAC labels it as a creme, but the shimmer is most definitely there. This is a color that is going to look good on anyone, no matter skin tone. It's universal, flattering, and natural-looking. 

Formula was great, but a bit sheer, so you're looking at 3 1/2 coats of polish. Any imperfections you see (I'm looking at that damn middle finger) are not the fault of the polish, but the shortcomings of my nails. My middle nail is in a perpetual state of peeling and nothing I do seems to help it. Any new growth is really brittle and tears almost immediately. As a result, most nail polish looks awful on it. Rest assured that Uninvited is as smooth as butter. 

I love fairy tales, LOVE THEM. They are my childhood and my comfort. And when I see them retold this way, it only makes me love them more. I'll leave you with the deliciously creepy and haunting version of "Once Upon a Dream":

L'Oreal Le Pastille

I haven't seen any of the polishes from this Les Blancs collection anywhere but Bed Bath and Beyond, which is frustrating because I frequent CVS way more often and want a few more. This was the only one I picked up at BB&B, Le Pastille. 

This makes me want an Oreo milkshake. Bad. It's different sizes of shiny black glitter suspended in a soft, sheer off-white/light beige. I layered two coats of Le Pastille over one coat of Orly Decades of Dysfunction. I've also worn it over Nicole by O.P.I. Am I Making Myself Claire? and that gives it a sort of lavender undertone which is very pretty as well. 

Application was great. Seriously, it was no trouble at all. The glitter spread nice and evenly, and I didn't have to do any placing or dabbing. I'm sure it would have been a nightmare if I didn't use undies, but I've learned my lesson; I don't want to spend hours scrubbing black glitter off my nails. 

I was binge-watching Once Upon a Time last night, and was top coating during a particularly suspenseful part and sort of lost track of how many coats I did. I know I did a coat of Gelous...possibly two coats of GCS. Oops. 

On the upside my manicure is perfectly smooth (not that this polish is particularly bumpy-the glitters lie nice and flat) and rock hard. 

Orly Decades of Dysfunction

Some days things just don't line up, everything is horrible, and all you want to do is go to bed until things stop sucking so much. Today is one of those days. The only good part of my day so far has been boyfriend and his new puppy.

I wanted a palate cleanser to transition into my spring polishes. Fresh start, you know? 

Ha. 

Decades of Dysfunction looks like a creamy off-white in the bottle. Once on the nail however, it sort of turns into a putty/pink color. It's nice and clean and soft-looking. Certain lights will bring out the off-whiteness more. It's similar to O.P.I. Don't Bossa Nova Me Around, except a bit less pink, I think.

The first two coats were a bit streaky, not so much because of the formula, but the brush. It's longer and thinner than I'm used to. I did three.

I never saw the Dark Shadows show, but I did see the movie. Wasn't horrible. Why am I trying to make small talk when I'm in a bad mood? Ugh.

Zoya Godiva

I just can't quit textures. My boyfriend loathes them and shivers every time he touches my nails when I wear them, but I can't help it-they're easy to apply, they wear like iron on me, and I can skip top coat and not have to worry about sheet marks!

`

I took advantage of the Zoya 3 free offer earlier this month and picked up Godiva, Nyx, and Rue. I was going to get London instead of Rue, but I can never say no to a blush nude. 

Another overcast day, so the pictures aren't great, but you get the idea. This was three perfect coats of Godiva, a stunning beige nude with sparkling silver texture. The sparkle is incredible...it looks as if I've dipped my nails into raw sugar. So beautiful. 

It's quiet and understated, but cheerful, which is exactly what I need right now. 

Essie Sand Tropez & China Glaze Harvest Moon

I needed a little break from all the Halloween stuff I’ve been wearing, so here’s a manicure inspired by a sweatshirt I just bought:

image from Old Navy

Super cute, right? I used three coats of essie Sand Tropez for my base, which is a great sandy/beige/taupe and added dots of China Glaze Harvest Moon with a bobby pin to mimic the rose gold sequin dots. My hands were pretty shaky last night so the dots aren’t perfect (hence why I’m showing you the nicer of the hands)-I pulled a muscle in my neck while I was sleeping the other night so my head is at a weird angle until the muscles loosen up.

I love this manicure. It’s so girly and chic. Don’t worry though-I’ve one last Halloween post to share with you-and it’s amazing.

Till next time!

Sephora by O.P.I. Under My Trenchcoat

I took these pictures a little late in the day so the polish looks a little greener than it is in real life.

Under My Trenchcoat has a putty/beige base filled with very pretty toned-down shimmer that can look gold or silver, depending on the light. The third photo down shows the silvery qualities, while the rest of them flash gold. It’s a really nice neutral.

Feeling headache-y and tired, so nothing else today. Till next time.

China Glaze Stellar

Sorry for showing my left hand today, my right thumbnail sustained a really, reeeeeallly bad break.

I can never decide whether or not I like Stellar. In theory I should-it’s got several things I really like in a polish: it’s a lovely butterscotch taupe, there are gold and silver glitters that sparkle like mad, and the formula is divine. But whenever I see it in the bottle, or on my nail, I hesitate.

I dunno…I feel like it has something to do with the glitter. Just when I’m sure it’s predominantly silver, it flashes gold. And when I want it to look warm and gold, it turns distinctly cool and silver. And the heaviness and coarseness of the glitter is a bit off putting. With a China Glaze glitter like Ruby Pumps, the larger glitter bits look wonderful-they catch the light and sparkle and look like the ruby slippers. But with something this neutral and subtle, I feel that maybe a more toned down glitter would have looked better.

This was three coats. And even though it is a very smooth glitter (no topcoat eating, I really love that about China Glaze glitters) I opted for Gelous as a topcoat rather than my beloved Grand Central Station.

HARE Polish Return to Nature

While I’m not feeling anywhere close to better, I had an urge to do my nails last night. My HARE polishes have been shut up in my closet since they came, so I guess I’ll start with (in my opinion) one of the prettiest ones.

Since I’m ill-equipped to describe anything more complicated than a shimmer, I’ll use the description from the HARE website:

“Return to Nature is a beige/khaki crelly (creme-jelly) with a mixture of small gold and silver glitters, plus a dusting of small white squares. This shade also features gold shimmer.”

As I’ve said before, not many handmade nail polishes catch my eye, but HARE’s seem to be the exception. They are well-made, beautifully inspired, and seem to have that extra oomph that I feel a lot of indie brands lack. They’re really top-quality, and the formula is truly amazing for a glittery jelly.

I layered one coat of Return to Nature over two coats of China Glaze Nude-the only nudey-dudey polish that I really like on myself. It’s incredibly close to my skin tone. Return to Nature dried quite quickly, but a bit satin-y, so top coat is needed.

And because my best friend loves fuchsia so very much, I gave her Party Palace, so there won’t be a swatch of that. She did a little dance of glee when I gave her the bottle. :)

So yes…a step towards normality. I’m just taking it a day at a time right now, and constantly reminding myself that I will be well again. I’m very lucky to have such a good support system-a family, a loving boyfriend and best friend, good doctors…I know I’m in good hands right now. Mental illness is an incredibly tricky thing to deal with, but I won’t let it ruin my life.

One day at a time.