Holo Friday: Depend "Denim Blue"

Hi girlies!!

You're probably all glad it's Friday, and I'm "bumming"... I'm going back to work tomorrow!  after 2 weeks of doing nothing and being a bum in front of my computer.  At least I'll still have 2 days off before I go to work again!

Did I tell you all I've signed up for my Everest trip?  Yep, I sent one HUGE check to them...  it was scary and very very painful to write it...  no excuses for not training now!!  and no wallowing over working over time either I guess!  Damn.  =))

Anyway.  On to the polish! 
Today the star of the day is Depend "Denim Blue" (or Nr 2032)!  I got it from Helena of Lacky Corner; thank you so much again girlie for this awesomeness!!!

sunlight

 Denim Blue is an insanely gorgeous washed out blue jean holo.  It is both, scattered and somewhat linear, I wouldn't say that linear is very strong on this one.  It took 3 coats for full opacity and depth.  One thing I gotta say here though.  I totally forgot that I was putting on a holo and used a regular (China Glaze) basecoat.  When I put on first coat of the polish it was very streaky!  Then I changed my base to Nfu Aqua Base and all the streaky-ness went away.  Bummer that it requires special basecoat, but if you love holos you should really get it!!  It really is worth it!  I got mine from FabulouStreet for $12.50/bottle.  Yep, it's disgustingly expensive, but really worth it when it comes to even holo application!

in shade

sunlight

I tried my luck in stamping again and used part of the design from SH-20 plate and Konad black polish.  It's actually funny, I'm starting the Outer Space theme next week (from my personal theme challenge) and this design reminds me of little space ships!  Can you guys see that??  Please say yes!! LOL

Denim Blue is part of Depend's holographic collection for summer 2012.  There are two bad things about this polish:  one, it comes in a tiny bottle, and I don't want to use it up!!!  And two, this beauty is only available in Sweden!!!  gaah!!!  I swear, one day I will make it to Sweden and will buy out the whole stock of these beauties!!!

For those of you who would like to participate in my nail art contest may wonder whether I consider this work appropriate?  I'd say yes... there is no sun at work so the base shows a little darker, just like the picture in the shade above!  Not too distracting to Muggles =)

And for more holographic rainbows have a peak at these blogs!

 

Mandy at Chameleon Stampede

Helena at Lacky Corner

Thanks so much for visiting!!!  Have a wonderful Friday =)

Monkey-See-Monkey-Do... Or Not?

Hi ladies!!

I wanted to ask your opinion on something.  You all know what Monkey-See-Monkey-Do (MSMD) is, right?  For those not very English fluent, and for the purposes of this blog, it's taking a picture from another blogger and imitating the nail art that blogger did.

source

My question to you is:  how do you feel about MSMD?  If you saw your nail art re-created by someone else, and who gave you full credit for the original design, would you be flattered or mad that the blogger in question cannot come up with her own art?

I'm asking this because I want to get more into nail art.  And I don't have an ounce of creativity in me.  Nada!!  So lately I've been gathering all kinds of inspirational pictures of nail art on Pinterest.  I just can't freaking come up with anything cool on my own!  So if you saw me pull MSMD from your nails, how would you feel? (I would give you full credit of course!)

I know that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"... but would it bother you if I "borrowed" your creativity?  Please be honest!!!  If your answer is "no" to MSMD, I would like to know!!  I'm hoping that by pulling lots of MSMD's something will ignite up in my coconut and I will start creating my own ideas!!

Thanks in advance for your comments and honesty!! =)

Thirsty Thursdays: Dark Indulgence Cocktail

Hi girlies!!

Ready for another tasty drink and a little chat?  Well you're in the right place then!!
Today's drink of choice is Dark Indulgence Cocktail, inspired by the beautiful OPI DS Indulgence.

I'm getting so antsy at home!!  I'm going back to work on Saturday (call shift).  I think I'm ready, my hand is doing better and better every day.  I just got so used to this laziness that I don't wanna go!!!  LOL
Someone has to make money though... Coincidentally I just signed up for my Everest trip... I still need some more cash so I better get my ass to work!!  I kinda wish someone requested Nepal or Tibet for our countries challenge...  you KNOW what I would put on my nails!!! =))

On to the liquid crack!  Indulgence is so so beautiful that I didn't want to 'mess it up' by stamping or taping or any other nail art.  It is perfect and luxurious just the way it is!!  If there was a rank among nail polishes, I would definitely say that I am indulging in this one!!
The base color is dark-ish, very rich red (berry red I read somewhere) with all kinds of gold shimmer.  OPI claimed that the polish is infused with diamond dust for extra sparkle and sparkle it does!!!  It is unbelievably beautiful!!!  2 coats for full opacity.  I can't stop staring at it!!!

in sunlight

I think pearls go so much better with this than just a plain 'ol necklace!

Indulgence is the newest release of OPI Designer Series.  I got my bottle at TransDesign for $7.25/bottle but I think it is available for sale wherever OPI is sold as well.


I've got Indulgence on my hands, it's time that we all had one!!  The Dark Indulgence Cocktail sounds delicious!!  Check it out:

Ingredients:
1/2 oz Tia Maria (or other coffee liquor)
3oz Coca Cola (I'm sure Pepsi will do too!)
1 scoop vanilla ice cream

Instructions:
Blend ingredients and serve in a chilled hurricane (poco grande) glass

recipe source

source, not actual drink

What do you guys think??  I don't know about you, but I love ice cream based drinks, and I think I will be making one tonight!!!  Tia Maria is a Jamaican coffee liqueur but I think any coffee liqueur will do!

What about the nail polish?  Do you think it's worthy of its name, Indulgence?
Thanks so much for joining me at today's happy hour =)

Where In the World?? New challenge!!!

Hi beauties!!

I'm so sad that our ABC challenge is over!  It went by so fast...  soo... it's time to start another fun challenge!!!  Jin of Superficially Colorful, and I, decided to put together the Where In The World challenge.  I personally think that it is amazing that so many people around the globe can be united by the love of nail polish!  No matter what color our skin is, religion, beliefs, or country we come from, we all have nails and we all love color!  I hope you will all join us in celebration of each individual country in this challenge!!

Below you will find a list of countries and the challenge is to represent each one on our nails!  Here are the rules:

1) The challenge will start on Sept 10th.  If you'd like to see your country represented, let me or Jin know in the comments!!  Once we start the challenge, the list of countries will be set.

2) Please join us!!!  You may join at the very beginning or later on in the game.

3) You can go at your own pace!!  So one country mani per week or 7...  You choose!!  Also, if you'd like to do more than one mani per country that's great!

4) No skipping around!  That's why it's called a challenge =)  Take a few extra days or Google around, and you'll come up with an idea for the country!!  Please go in order of the countries listed in the banner.

5) As far as creativity goes...  Let your fantasy take over!!  You may do your mani as simple as just the name of the polish (for example Russian Navy for Russia), or do all kinds of artwork on your nails (mini version of Mona Lisa anyone?)!!  It's really up to you!

And the countries are:

1. Australia

2. Canada

3. Spain

4. Israel

5. Poland

6. USA

7. Denmark

8. Sweden

9. United Kingdom

10. Russia

11. Hungary
12. South Africa

13. Netherlands

14. France

15. Germany

16. Finland

17. Singapore

18. Ukraine
19. Korea
20. Colombia
21. Japan 
22. China 
23. Madagascar 
24. Brazil 
25. Romania

Remember you can add on to this list, no matter whether you're participating or not...  Just please let us know by September 8th!! (so we can put our banner together).  And of course let us know if you want to join!!

****************************************************************************************************************************************

And on a more personal note...  Since I've been sitting at home recuperating from my carpal tunnel procedure, I've been bored out of my ass...  that's never good haha =))  so I've decided to come up with a 'system' for my blog!  I'll be presenting my polishes according to themes that I've come up with.  All the polishes will have to have something in their names related to the given theme.  I will stay stay with my Monday Blues, Tuesdays with Zoya, Thirsty Thursdays and Holo Fridays, but they may not all have the theme polish (although I will try my best!)  Some themes will take a week, some two or three...  depending on what I have in my stash =)  And I'll definitely keep going with my comparisons!

You can vote on the next theme!!  In fact, please do! I would love to hear what you would like to see =))

Here is my official banner:

I'll start this on Monday so is there anything you suggest I should start with??

Thanks so much for reading!! =)

Guest Post for Joanna of Treasure Chest

Hi guys!

Here comes another guest post!  Joanna of The Treasure Chest asked me to do a guest post for her, and I was more than happy to do it!!
Joanna and I have become virtual friends not too long ago when she decided to join our Monday Blues team.  She features all kinds of things on her blog, from makeup trough nails to food!!  Make sure you go check it out!

In the meanwhile, here is the preview of the mani came up with for her.  You can read all about it at her blog =)  Hope you like it!

Tuesdays with Zoya: Zanna

Hi ladies!!

I'm so sad!!!  Today's polish represents the last letter of the ABC challenge...  I can't believe how fast it went by!!  I wanted to thank each and every one of you who participated in this challenge with me!!  I feel like I've made friends throughout these few weeks.  I've learned your likes and dislikes, and discovered your awesome blogs!!  I really hope you enjoyed this challenge as well and this will not be the only one you'll participate in!! (hint hint, check my blog tomorrow!!)

On to the polish... Today's Tuesdays with Zoya brings you Zoya "Zanna".  You know how you look at the bottle and think 'eh, why did I ever get it'?  That was the case.  And then I put it on!!  aaaahhh...

Zoya describes this color as "muted light rose-mauve with subtle lavender undertones in a smooth creme finish."  It looked kinda boring in the bottle but it turned to beauty on the nails.  It is literally one self-leveling coater!!  I usually go over second time to cover up bald spots, but there were none in this case!!  I really really loved this on my nails =)

I decided to spruce it up a touch and I actually pulled a little Monkey-See-Monkey-Do here!  I borrowed an idea from Marta of ChitChat Nails who has some of the best nail arts out there!  And so it happened that I got a package from Born Pretty Store yesterday so I had to try out the new glitters!!  I decided just to use a few, just enough to give my plain mani a little edge.  I put a couple glitters on the cuticle edge of each nail.  Originally I thought they would stick just to the drop of topcoat, but that didn't work at all.  I ended up applying a fresh layer of topcoat and squishing the glitter in while it was still tacky.  Speaking of topcoat, I used the Nail Life Speed Demon topcoat again, and I tell ya, this thing dries faster than Seche!!!  This will be my go-to topcoat from now on!!!
I'm getting chatty here... check out my 'nail art'!!  Much better than yesterday, huh =))  LOL

Zanna was part of Zoya's Blissful Spring 2008 collection and is still available for sale at Zoya website for $8/bottle.  Or you can take advantage of their BOGO (buy-one-get-one) sale that's going on right now!!

How do you like Zanna?  Ever see a boring polish in the bottle just to find out it's fabulous on the nail?
Thanks so much for stopping by!!  Thank you again for sticking with me these last few weeks in the ABC challenge!!

Comparison: OPI "Yodell Me On My Cell" vs China Glaze "Rodeo Fanatic"

Hi guys!

Quick comparison of the polish I just showed you, OPI "Yodell Me On My Cell" on another in my stash, China Glaze "Rodeo Fanatic".

Y is for OPI "Yodell Me On My Cell"! Monday Blues

Hi girlies!!

When I was a little girl I loved everything that sparkled.  It really didn't matter what it was, as long as I saw some bling bling in it.  I even gathered all my necklaces and pins at one time and put them on all at once!!  Well, after visiting my sister and her kids over the weekend, hanging out with my little niece must have rubbed off on me and brought all the need for bling bling out to surface... as evidenced by my way-too-blingy rhinestoned nails today!!  weee... what the hell was I thinking??!!!  (and btw, I did do my niece's nails in neon pink with Hello Kitty stamp, and some with pink/gold glitter!  She loved them!!!)

Anyways... before my mani turned into disaster, I started with OPI "Yodell Me On My Cell", for the letter Y.  I can't believe we're already in the last week of the ABC challenge!!  One more letter and that's it!! (really sad face here) 

Yodell Me On My Cell is an aqua dark blue with all kinds of aqua shimmer.  Pretty good formula and it took 2-3 coats to cover up VNL.  This little stinker stains though!!!  I got a little on my cuticles and it was a pain to remove it =(  I hope I don't end up with smurf nails after this!

And now it's time to show you my epic fail.  First I stamped my ring nail and my thumb with the fllower design from Shany plate SH17.  Then I used another flower design from SH16 for the remaining nails.  I used Orly Luxe for all the stamping.  That already looked a little overdone, but I had to mess with it even more and added rhinestones to everything!!  The whole thing looked even worse (can you believe it??!!) because I used different color rhinestones on each finger, and then I decided to change them to one color so I don't scare too many people off.  This is definitely not an adult mani!!!  But I bet my 5-yr-old niece would love it!!!  haha =))

Yep...  I can see the horror on your face...  and that's definitely NOT what I'm looking for in my nail art contest!!! (are you thinking of your entries yet????) Good thing I'm not working today!!

In any case... Yodell Me On My Cell was released in the fall of 2010 in OPI's Swiss collection.  I bought my bottle at TransDesign and I'm sure it's available at other e-retailers.

For other blue beauties and non-fail nail art look at these!

Mandy of Chameleon Stampede

Mihaela of Lacquer Buzz

Marisa of MariJo Nails

Joanna of The Treasure Chest

Have a wonderful Monday!!  I promise I'll show you something more adult-like tomorrow!! =)

Finger Paints "Take It Or Leaf It"

Hi ladies!

I'm still visiting with my family so this is a pre-written post.  I want to make sure that I show you beauties from this collection since it's limited, and once it's gone, that's it!  Let me present to you then another polish by Finger Paints, "Take It Or Leaf It".

Take It Or Leaf It is a taupe brown metallic with crazy strong silver shimmer.  Because it's a metallic the brushstrokes are somewhat visible which kinda takes away from the beauty of this polish.  And beautiful it is!  I don't know what's come over me, but I have started liking polishes that I would usually stay far away from!  Like browns, grays and taupes.  Like this one!!

Take It Or Leaf It is part of Finger Paints Fall of Surprises! 2012 limited collection currently available for sale at Sally Beauty Supply stores and online.

How do you guys feel about colors like these?  Do like them or do you find them boring?

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Finger Paints "Plum Startled"

Hey girlies!

How's your weekend going?  Mine's off to a great start!  I'm off to see my sister and her kids, my wonderful 6-yr-old nephew and 4-yr-old niece.  I haven't seen them in a while, so I wanted to do something special for my little niece.  She's going through the Hello Kitty stage...  Now I could not be farther from understanding what Hello Kitty is all about, let alone really embracing it..  but just to make her happy I stamped it on my accent nails!  I'm taking pink and purple polishes with me (her favorite colors) along with the plate containing "Hello Kitty" design.  My sister said that she would let my little niece wear nail polish for a couple days, so I'm really excited to show her my 'goodies'!!  I will let you guys know how she liked it!

For this mani I used my newest addition, Finger Paints "Plum Startled".  It's a vampy plum colored polish with blue and purple shimmer.  It looks as if it's glowing from the inside out!!!  I wouldn't say the formula was necessarily great, it was rather thin.  It's a first for Finger Paints for me, they usually come through with awesome colors and formula.  Not to say that it was bad on this one, just a little different!  I used two coats for this one, it was enough to cover up the whole nail.

I stamped my ring finger and thumb with Hello Kitty design from my newest Shany plates, SH08 (I got them just for this design too!!!  That's how crazy I am about my little niece!!), and Orly Shine.  I tried to make it a little less obvious than stamping it on bright pink, for example, because we're going to an adult party as well and I want to look somewhat of the age =)) 

Btw, I used new top coat than I haven't tried before, you can see it in the picture above.  The Nail Life Speed Demon is really a speed demon!! (and it got that song by Michael Jackson stuck in my head too!!)  Seriously though, I picked it up at Sally's yesterday per salesperson's recommendation, and I have to say that I can compare it to Seche Vite!  It dries just as fast as Seche!

Anyway, Plum Startled is part of Finger Paints Fall of Surprises! newest 2012 collection.  It's currently available for sale at Sally Beauty Supply stores and online.  It's limited collection so if you like this color, go get it!

I hope you all liked this color and my little kiddy stamping!!!  Have a wonderful Saturday!!

Holo Friday: OPI Extravagance

Hi girlies!

Wow, look at me, I've been sitting at home for a week now, twirling my thumbs and doing absolutely nothing... And I can't even write my post on time!!  That's some laziness I tell ya!  Good thing is that I got my stitches removed out of my hand today and I finally registered my car!  It's only 3 weeks late..  but better late than never, right!  I'm such a procrastinator!!!

In any case, for today's Holo Friday and the next letter in the alphabet (X) I'm showing you OPI DS Extravagance.   Okie, so I'm cheating a little with the X thing..  I don't have anything that starts with an X!!  But "Xtravagance" is very close to Extravagance, so there you go!

Extravagance is part of the OPI Designer Series.  It's a beautiful, rich color of dark berry/magenta with scattered holo glitter.  It took me thin 2 coats for full opacity but you could achieve it in one thick one. It seemed like my fingertips just painted themselves!!  The flawless formula and wide brush equaled perfection in this one!

OPI DS Extravagance can be purchased at TransDesign, Amazon or eBay.  As of today it is out of stock at TransDesign, but check back often with them because the price is only $7.25!!

And don't forget to check out what these ladies came up with for Holo Friday!!  They've already posted their beauties, I'm the only slacker!!! =)

Mandy at Chameleon Stampede

Helena at Lacky Corner

Have a wonderful Friday!!