Allons-y!!!

As you may remember, my 30th birthday was this past Monday.  Because it's a pretty huge milestone, I decided that I would love to get some custom polishes made to commemorate the day.  I put out a request to a group of makers I know and was able to get three different makers to make me three very different polishes!  Today, I'm going to show you the first of these three polishes, Allons-y from Kas at Metametics.  You can purchase Metametics on her etsy store.  However, the shop is closed for the next month while Kas is out of town.

Metametics is a self proclaimed geek brand made by geeks for geeks.  Looking at the polish names, you can tell that these guys know their anime, sci fi, fictional history, and mystery.  When Kas got back to me letting me know that she would be able to make me something, she asked me a few questions to gauge what I wanted.  I decided that I wanted a color shift polish in red, blue, purple, or pink.  She made me three options and sent me a pic to choose which I liked best.  Then, she asked me what kinds of TV shows, movies, and books I liked.  Naturally, I told her that I loooooved Doctor Who, specifically the 10th Doctor (David Tennant).  Kas was a doll to work with - very professional with great communication and a quick turnaround.  I highly recommend her to make you a custom if you're ever in the market.

In honor of the new Doctor Who season starting tomorrow (at 8 pm on BBC America!!!!), I bring to you Metametics Allons-y!

My "mild" obsession with Doctor Who came in 2008 when I first saw the episode Blink.  If you haven't seen this, you need to google/netflix it right now.  I can wait.  Go ahead.  I'll see you in an hour.  

(Source)

Waits patiently.

Ok, did you watch it?  Good.  This particular episode is more like a horror movie than the normal campy sci fi episodes, and I seriously fell in love.  I mean, so much so that last year I was a Weeping Angel for Halloween:

Yes, Halloween is my favorite holiday.  Yes, we always go all out.  Just wait until next month!

David Tennant is my Doctor.  Everyone who loves Doctor who has their one Doctor that they love or identify with the most.  I'll never get over David Tennant's last episodes, but I'm starting to enjoy Matt Smith a little.  He's no David Tennant, though...

Nerd never looked so hot.  (Source)

I mean, seriously.  (Source)

Anyway, one of my favorite lines from all of the Doctor Whos I've ever watched is from the Titanic special when the Doctor is talking to a crewman named Alonso (who also happens to be George from another show I love - Being Human).  David Tennant's doctor's catch phrase throughout his tenure on the show was "Allons-y!"  So, naturally, when presented with Alonso it became "Allons-y, Alonso!"  I don't know why, but I say that all the time.  Seriously.  It's weird.  That's why this polish name was so perfect for me!  Kas didn't even know how obssessed I was with that line when she sent it to me.  I was so stoked when I opened the wrapper and saw the name.  The hubby also approved of both the color and the name.

(Source)

Anyway, enough of my geeking out, let's chat polish!  Allons-y is a vampy red polish with so many different color flashes that it's hard to tell what the color really is.  The first coat goes on a deep blood red, but as you build on, the color changes to a rusty brown-red.

In certain lights it shines gold.  Others it shines green.  And at even others it looks like a normal vampy red shimmer with red glitters.  This polish is probably the most complex color I own, and I absolutely adore it!  Here are some bottle shots of the color shift.

Green

Gold

The consistency was a little thick, and I probably could've gone with just one coat, but I like doing more coats to really saturate the color on my nails.  After a few minutes of having the bottle open, I needed to add a little thinner, so this polish is definitely one you need to work with quickly.  Personally, as I've said before, I'd rather have a polish that's thick than too thin.  You can always tweak thick to suit your needs.  Allons-y was not overly thick, so I only needed to add a few drops to get it to my desired consistency.  It didn't stain my cuticles, either, which is great because I've been super lazy about application lately.  Once I thinned it to the consistency I like, it applied flawlessly.  No dragging, bubbling, or pooling.  The color shift translated really well from the bottle and is extremely evident on the nail.  Not all color shift polishes can claim that.  Here is a closeup of my middle and ring fingers.  You can see each color shift and shimmer very clearly.

Middle looks red and gold; ring looks red and green.

This polish is almost perfect for Christmas because of the colors included in the shift!  I know I'll definitely be busting it out around the holidays.  It's the perfect fall color, too, as it reminds me of the leaves changing in New England.

This was my first Metametics polish, but I do believe I'll be trying to get more as soon as my no-buy has been lifted.  If every polish they make is as awesome as Allons-y!, then I may be in danger of buying them out!  Again, you can purchase Metametics polish from their etsy store, but you'll have to wait until the end of the month.

Are you a Doctor Who fan?  If yes, who is *your* doctor?


**Edited to Add**  I am headed to the beach for the weekend!!!  I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable three day weekend!  As per my normal schedule, I won't be posting Saturday or Sunday.  I will, however, try to post Monday and Tuesday.  Have a great weekend, everyone!
Allons-y was purchased by me.  My review is based on my impressions and opinions, not based on any loyalty I feel towards Metametics for doing me a solid.  Just so's ya knows.

Comparison Thursday: Teal Glitter Top Coats

Welcome to another Comparison Thursday!!!  Personally, I am always looking for other options to the very hard to find and expensive polishes on my wish list.  I love looking at comparison swatches to see if I truly need a polish or if I can find a cheaper alternative for the expensive ones.  Also, comparisons help me determine if I need a polish at all because I may have one close enough in the same family to not warrant needing both.  I just came to this realization recently.  Before, I would buy whatever I thought was pretty, but I noticed I was accumulating some dupes and near dupes, which drives me CRAZY.  For me, near dupes are just as bad as dupes, especially since I'm working on paring down my stash.  I looked through my polishes and have discovered that I have enough dupes or near dupes to do Comparison Thursdays into next year.  Many of these comparisons will include several shades, not just two.  THAT IS INSANE.  I'm sure my stash pales in comparison to many of you guys out there, but it's still a bit daunting!  That being said, it's time to get down to business!

(Source)

Let's take a look at teal glitters.  While the glitters below aren't exact duplicates, you may find a cheaper or more easily obtainable one that you like better than the expensive or hard to find options I'm going to show you.  The teal glitters I have in my stash are Elevation Stay Behind, Catch a Wave, Lynnderella Thank Blue, Dollish Spank You Very Much, and Dollish Mermaid Scales.  I got my Thank Blue through a swap group on facebook, but you can purchase them from Lynnderella on ebay, if and when they ever list singles.  Elevation can be purchased here, and you can follow Lulu's blog for updates and news here.  Be advised, you have to move quick to get Elevation polishes.  Dollish can be found at Dolly's store or on Llarowe.  Currently, neither Mermaid Scales nor Spank You Very Much are available at Dolly's store, but they are both in stock at Llarowe if you're ok paying a higher price.  Dolly has not announced plans to stock either of these in the near future, so Llarowe may be the way to go.

They look like they *could* be close in the bottle.

Back shot to see the glitters a little better.

Ok, now that the administrative stuff is out of the way, let's get to the polishes!!!  In the bottles, they all look like they have a very similar color scheme - teal with some sparkles.  However, there are some key differences once you get them on the nail.

You remember the nail catastrophe I mentioned yesterday?  Exhibit A: annihilated pinkie nail.  Sad days.

First, we'll start with Stay Behind, Catch a Wave.  This polish has a slight teal tint that only shows up because I'm wearing a white jelly underneath.  Otherwise, you can't really tell.  It applied a little thickly, but that was mostly because I was trying to get as many circles as I could on my nail.  SBCW is very unique in that it has circular glitters - in two different sizes, no less.  I know of only a handful of polishes with circular glitters, and they're all large and black.  SBCW also has iridescent glitters that make this polish sparkle like crazy in the light.  The glitters are much more sparse in this polish than any of the other polishes I will show you today, so if that's your thing, try to snag it next restock.  Luckily, SBCW is going to be a reoccurring color, so you should be able to grab some if you're quick.

Cirrrrrrcles!

Thank Blue is a very densely packed glitter top coat  It includes medium teal hexes and squares as well as finer teal and holographic hexes.  The base has a slight teal tint, but I'm not sure if that's from "intentional bleeding" or not.  I would definitely say this is a glitter bomb.  This picture is just one coat with the dab method.  If you want a more sparse look, I'm sure it can be achieved by using regular application techniques.

Hooooolo!

Spank You Very Much is a clear based polish with medium and fine teal hexes and smaller purple hexes.  There is no shimmer to the base, but the glitters are shiny enough on their own.  This is one coat with the dab method.  I think this guy will look great over black, too.

Perfect mix of teal and purple!

Mermaid Scales is the odd-man out.  It is a teal based jelly with smaller teal (or blue, maybe?) hexes and green and blue large and medium hexes.  It applied evenly, and the glitters spread easily without much manipulation on my part.  I think this could be really pretty with several layers to create a jelly sandwich effect.

It looks like bubbles under water.

Here's a blurry shot of all four so you can get an idea of the sparkle for each polish.

Thank Blue definitely has the best sparkle, followed by SYVM and SBCW.  Mermaid Scales didn't have much sparkle at all.

So, while none were exact dupes, I think that if you own one, you don't really need the others.  I'm not really sure what I plan to do with these guys.  I want to wear them each on their own before making any final decisions, but I'm not sure I can justify keeping all of them.  Either way, I'll let you guys know if I decide to put them on my sale page.

Lastly, I plan to start selling my polishes on Copious starting next week.  If you're interested in checking out copious, you can do so here.  Also, this is a great way to use up any Copious credits you may have!

Which is your favorite teal topper?  Which would you get rid of?

Sakura Matsuri

I apologize for the brevity of my posts this week!  We're prepping to head to the beach this weekend, so I'm running around all over the place after work, which eats into my swatching and blogging time.  Today, I'm going to show you an untried polish I wore last week when I had on my ill-fated gels.  Here is Rainbow Honey Sakura Matsuri, which is available on Rainbow Honey's website.  Sakura Matsuri is currently in stock in both the 15ml and 7ml sizes, so if you want it, go and check out their store.  Follow Dee and the rest of the Rainbow Honey crew on their blog and facebook page for updates and news on the brand.

Sakura Matsuri is a clear glitter top coat with fine gold holographic glitters, white hexes, and glitter blossoms in white and pink.

Look at the blossoms!

Like many Rainbow Honey polishes, Sakura Matsuri was pretty thick.  It was also difficult to apply.  I used the dabbing method, but it was still a bit hard to spread the polish evenly across my nail.  Plus, I had to manipulate the blossoms with my brush and cuticle stick to get them into position.

You can see the gels chipping from my intense and unsuccessful effort to remove Lynn Boy Girl Party.

It really is a very pretty polish.  I don't currently own any other polishes with the blossom glitters, and I know there aren't many with them available right now.  The holo glitters shone brightly over the black gels, which was a very pretty effect.

Blurry to see the holo glitters.

Once on, it was bumpy to the touch.  I knew I wasn't going to wear it for very long, so I didn't apply a coat of Gelous to help even it out before my Seche Vite.  That was a huge mistake.  Sometime during the afternoon of the first day, the flowers started popping off.  So, if you have this polish, keep that in mind.  You'll definitely need to add a coat of Gelous (or two) and/or two coats of a thick top coat.  Luckily, since I had already had the gels on for a few days, the glitter layer didn't take very long to dry after I applied Seche Vite.

You can sort of see the bumpiness in this pic.

Verdict: I really like the look of this polish.  It is very feminine and unique, so I'll keep it.  HOWEVER, I will definitely thin it out before I use it again.

Check back tomorrow for Comparison Thursday!  I have some great polishes to show you!

How do you tame top-coat hungry glitter polishes?

Jelly Shoes jelly sammich!

I have a quick post for you guys today: a sort of jelly sandwich.  By definition, yes, this is a jelly sandwich, however, it doesn't really look like one on the nail.  I have other jelly sandwich ideas, but I really wanted to try out the combination of Girly Bits Jelly Shoes and Hare the Sky was Pink first.

So, for my first blog jelly sandwich I am wearing 1 coat Girly Bits Jelly Shoes + 1 coat Hare The Sky was Pink + 2 more coats of Jelly Shoes.

Sorry, you guys get my janky right hand since I had a major nail catastrophe on my left pinky.

Jelly Shoes is a bright neon pink jelly with glass flecks and flashes of blue shimmer.  It applied beautifully.  As a jelly finish polish, it definitely needed several coats for full coverage. It worked perfectly with Hare the Sky was Pink as it's just a bit brighter than the base color of the Hare, so it brightened the mani up quite a bit.  I was in a super rush to get my nails done last night, so I got polish all over my cuticles.  Luckily, Jelly Shoes didn't stain or hang onto my cuticles once I cleaned up with acetone.  But seriously, guys, look at that gorgeous blue shimmer!

It makes this mani glow!

The Sky was Pink is a pink based polish with blue/purple/blurple fine hex and square glitters.  The glitters scatter out well giving a granite illusion.  All day today, I kept looking at this polish, and I am seriously in love!  It applied well, which means it wasn't too thick like some glitter bombs.  It spread easily without much manipulation on my part.  The only problem I had with this particular polish is when the glitters got on my skin, they were almost IMPOSSIBLE to get off.

A close-up to see a better view of the jelly sandwich.

Verdict: I think I'll keep them both!  It's hard to hate anything paired with Jelly Shoes.  Just sayin'.



What's your favorite jelly sandwich combination?

Cupcake Nails and Giveaway Winner!

Well, we have a winner, ladies and gentlemen!  Congrats to Liz Lew!  You have won the Color Club Starry Temptress collection pack!  I have emailed you, so you have 48 hours to get into touch with me before I have to choose a new winner!  By the way, you may want to check your spam folder, just in case.  ;)  Congrats!  Thank you, everyone, for playing along!  I truly appreciate your follows and feedback.  There is another giveaway on the horizon, we're only 26 followers away!  Trust me, you're not going to want to miss this one!  Think indies, mainstream, and jelly sammiches!  Piqued your interest yet?  Good!  (Although, the prize for the next giveaway isn't really a secret.  I have a picture of it on my Facebook page, so go and check it out!)


Since today is my birthday, no I'm not looking for well-wishes (although, they are appreciated, lol), I decided to do cupcake nails!  I have never done a cupcake nail in my LIFE, so I used this tutorial:

I honestly had no idea it would be that easy.  Cutepolish has a youtube channel with tons of tutorials, so I am hoping I can use her videos to start incorporating more nail art into my weekly posts.  You can check out Cutepolish here.

For my cupcake mani, I used Elevation Marble Caves for the base color and cupcake wrapper, A-England Elaine for the striping, 365 Days of Color Birthday Bash for the icing and accent nail, and Essie Sure Shot for the heart on top.

Without further ado...  Here is my special birthday edition manicure: Cupcake Mani!

I still just love this mani!

Since it is my birthday, I really wanted to try out 365 Days of Color Birthday Bash.  Birthday Bash is a white creme based polish with fine teal glitters and multicolor shreds.  I thought it would be perfect for cupcake icing!  I also wanted to check out how it would look on a full nail, so I did my pointer finger as an accent.  It applied well and only needed two coats for full coverage on my accent nail.  I'm a little torn on this one.  I like the idea of this polish, but maybe not so much the actual polish.  It looked great as the cupcake icing, but I'm not a huge fan of it on its own.  I'm not even sure why I don't like it.  I guess, if I'm going to go with white and teal, I'd rather use Dollish Expecto Patronum.  Plus, I have so many white based polishes, it's kind of insane.  That being said, I think this little guy will make its way to the blog sale soon.

Close-up of 365 Days of Color Birthday Bash.  The shreds were hard to get out.  :(

Holy moly, I love Elevation Marble Caves.  This polish is GORGEOUS.  I hated covering it up with stripes!  It applies very thinly, so it requires three coats to get full coverage.  That pale purple is one of my favorite colors, plus it has iridescent glitters that shine blue, green, red, and gold.  I hate that it was a limited edition because it's just such a beautiful polish.  Plus, it applied really well.  I've had it on for 3 days, and only 1 chip and no tip wear.  That's amazing considering how badly I treat my hands!

Look at that sparkle!!!

I used A-England Elaine for the stripes.  Elaine is a deep purple creme.  I can't really say too much about it because its use was so limited.  I've put it back into my untried stash so I can get a real manicure out of it.  It applied well with my nail art brush, but I still want to see what she can do with a proper manicure.  The same can be said of Essie Sure Shot.  Again, I used it for such a limited purpose that I can't truly review it.

I have loved this manicure so much I have worn it for 3 days.  I'll probably keep it on until tomorrow!  Plus, this design was actually pretty easy to accomplish.  I felt so proud of myself for doing proper nail art.  The hubs thought it was pretty cool, too.

Verdict: cupcake manis: keeper; Elevation Marble Caves: keeper; 365 Days of Color Birthday Bash: seller/swapper; A-England Elaine: back in the untried stash; Essie Sure Shot: back in the untried stash.

Lastly, I thought I'd show off my nail mail!  I can't wait to try them all out for you guys!!  They make for a nice birthday surprise.  :)

Dollish Heart of Glass, Dollish 3 Best Friends, Dollish Master Chief, Dollish Greased Lightening, Elevation Ama Dablam (x2), Dollish Zombie Flesh

Have you ever done a cupcake manicure?  How did you do your nails on your last birthday?

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone!!!  Thankfully, I don't have to work this weekend!  My birthday is on Monday, so we're doing a dinner get together at my place.  I need to clean my house something fierce tonight!  Plus, I have to mow our ridiculously huge lawn.  Living in the country has its merits, but having a 1 1/2 acre mowable lawn is not one of them!  Yuck.  Anyway, I'm hoping to have time to get festive and do cupcake nails tonight!

As promised, I bring you Elevation Tindur!  Elevation Tindur is a very pale grey/white/green with a subtle blue shimmer that dries matte.  That's a mouthful!  

What color is that?

Look at that blue!

Application for this guy was very tricky.  It applied extremely streaky and dried super quick, making it almost impossible to spread easily across the nail.  I had to use 4 coats to get complete coverage without streaking or bald spots.  But, man!  Once it's on, it is GORGEOUS!  I got so many compliments on this color - more than any other mani I've worn to date.  Plus, I actually love Tindur so much that I wore it for a day without anything on top.  Then, I wore it for 2 more days with the glitters from yesterday.  That's practically unheard of for me.

Seriously.  Gorg.

Lulu says that it dries matte, but with four coats it was more like the rubber-suede look instead of a true matte.  

Still shiny

Also, ignore the bubbles...  I was working quickly so I could get to bed at a decent hour.  PLUS, I tried doing thicker coats to cure the streak.  Clearly, that didn't work.

Yes.  I totally just added a Ray Stevens video.  BOOYAH!

I really wish the blue shimmer that shines so well in the bottle would translate to the nail, but it was just way too subtle.  Granted, it's still there, but it's very hard to see.

The shimmer is near the tip of my thumb.

Verdict: I'm definitely going to keep Tindur because I don't have a single polish like it.  I'm pretty sure that the matte finish is what's making it difficult for me to apply, but I'm willing to put up with difficult application because the outcome is just so rewarding!  


What is your favorite polish that has a PITA application?

Comparison Thursday: P&P Rat-a-tat and Elevation Nararsuk

Happy Thursday, everybody!  Tonight, I'm starting a new feature that I hope will be a regular part of my schedule: Comparison Thursdays!  I am always looking for dupes of hard to find or expensive polishes.  I hate buying something only to come home and find that I already have it or that I spent way too much money on something just for the brand name.  You know what that does???

It really grinds my gears!

(Source)

So, in order to maybe help keep you guys from making the same mistakes that I've made, I plan to go through my stash to show you any possible dupes I may have (AND PURGE!).  I will include both what I believe to be exact dupes as well as near dupes.  I have come to the realization that I no longer need to have polishes that look very similar but aren't quite the same just because I think all iterations are pretty.  Pretty can't trump wallet, at least, not anymore.  Hah!  Hopefully, you guys will benefit from my mistakes.  I'll also have a poll at the end of each comparison post to see which polish you liked best.  Your opinions will be a factor in my decision to keep a polish along with other factors like ease of application and cost.

My first comparison will be between Pretty & Polished Rat-a-tat and Elevation Nararsuk.  I am wearing Elevation Tindur for undies, which I will review tomorrow night.

They look different in the bottles, don't they?

But look at them together.

I apologize for the crazy dry skin.  Something is blooming and my eczema's flairing.  :(

I purchased Rat-a-tat from Pretty & Polished during her last pre-order.  I am moving away from glitter top coats in favor of jelly and creme glitters, but I thought that Rat-a-tat was just so pretty.  I really wanted to give it a shot.  Rat-a-tat has a clear or slightly grey tinted base with fine and large black hexes, fine and large teal hexes, and teal bars.  I'm not usually a fan of bar glitters, which we'll discuss in more depth when I review Lynnderella Boy Girl Party, but the bars that Chelsea uses are so fine that they work really well in her polishes.  They lay flat on the nail and spread easily, which isn't something that can be said of all bar glitters.  Like most of P&P's polishes, Rat-a-tat applied very smoothly.  It's best to apply it using the dab method.  It isn't too thick, nor is it too thin.  It's got a pretty great consistency.

Sorry for the freaking bubbles.  I'm just way too impatient.

I purchased Elevation Nararsuk in Lulu's last restock.  It's a new color, so it will be available for the next 2 restocks, unless she chooses to make it a recurring shade.  Sadly, this was one of those rush of the moment purchases.  While it's extremely gorgeous, and I'm glad I got it (it will probably be the one I keep), I had a feeling it may be a near dupe of Rat-a-tat, which I already had.  It's a clear based polish with fine and large black hexes and medium teal hexes.  It applied well with the dab method.  All hex sizes came out easily, and I really like how sparse the coverage was.  The bottle shows that the glitters are predominantly black with flashes of teal, but the teal came out easily.  I'm sure I could've put more glitter on the nail, but I really liked the way it looked.  It just looks clean and less cluttered.

Again, bubbles.  Ugh.

If you'll look closely, you'll see that the teal is the exact same size and shade in both polishes.  There are only two real differences between the two: Rat-a-tat has fine teal hexes and teal bars and Nararsuk does not.  Otherwise, these two are pretty much the same.  The application was the same, except Rat-a-tat has much more teal.  The effect was the same.  My work advisers (aka the awesome ladies I work with who will give me opinions on my polishes and manis - hi ladies!!) couldn't really tell the difference at first until I stuck my hands right in their faces, so I think that these are close enough not to have both.  It is easier to get your hands on Rat-a-tat, which is still available on Etsy and Llarowe, so if you are looking to get Nararsuk, Rat-a-tat would be a great substitute!

See how similar?!

As always, you can buy Elevation Polishes from Lulu's store on the 7th of every month at 10 pm est.  You can purchase Pretty and Polished from her Etsy store or Llarowe.  Rat-a-tat is currently available at both stores.  

*UPDATE* Lulu announced on her blog that she will no longer sell Nararsuk.  Unfortunately, she doesn't have any in stock and won't be able to remake it as a custom.  That means that Rat-a-tat is your best shot if you like the look of these polishes.

Well, in an effort to get my insomnia under control, I am forcing myself to get in the bed and sleep.  I hope everyone has a great night!

Which polish do you like better?  Rat-a-tat or Nararsuk?  Why?

An Orange I Actually Like!

Yes, you read correctly!  I finally found an orange I like!  It took a while, but I'm pretty pleased with Zoya Myrta.  Today I'm going to briefly review Zoya Myrta and Pretty & Polished He is King.  This was supposed to be a shorter post since I'm kind of busy at work and will be cleaning like a maniac tonight for this weekend.  I'm havin a partay!!!  I think I'm going to try out some cupcake nails for the occasion, so I'll definitely post them here if I can manage it!  Anyway, I finished some of my cleaning early, so now I can answer a few questions at the end.  

It's orange.  An orange that I like.  Waahuh??

I actually did this mani last week when I was focusing on the "maybe" polishes.  I received Zoya Myrta for free during their Summer Beach and Surf Instagram promotion, and I was a bit worried that I'd hate Myrta because, well, it's orange.  I had no idea how good it would look on me, though.  Here is Myrta with one coat.  ONE COAT!  One coat polishes are seriously my favorite thing in the world.  It means less time applying and less time waiting for it to dry.  Plus the brightness and shine are just gorgeous.  I haven't even applied a top coat!  It applied easily, no pooling, not too thin, and glided over the nail with ease.  It's a foil, so I have my suspicions that it may be a great stamping polish, too.  I really like the foil look on this guy because it adds depth to the color.  I think this orange works on me because it's bright and red-toned.  I don't feel like I can pull off the lighter more yellowy oranges.

One-coat awesomeness!

Next I applied Pretty and Polished He is King.  Here is Chelsea's description of this polish:

"Leo is a hot headed lover and can be your worst enemy or your greatest love. You will find a fiery depth to this polish with its blood orange hue. Hidden inside each bottle is one tiny orange heart."

The bar glitters in here matched Myrta perfectly, so I knew they needed to be united in a mani.  He is king has a light orange jelly base with fine dark orange (or maybe red?) hexes, orange bars, and larger orange hexes.  I have been on the fence about this one for a little while.  It applies great - no clumping or dragging.  It has this amazing depth due to the varied size and shapes of the glitters.  But I'm not always a huge fan of bar glitters due to their tendency to curl.

The orange still looks great!

Although, after looking at these pictures, I think I my mind has been changed.  I'm really starting to love this polish.  The bars and fine hexes give the illusion of fur with the larger hexes adding depth and sparkle.  Plus, I'm honestly looking forward to finding the tiny black heart!

So complex!

Verdict: They're both keepers!  Although, after removing Myrta I had SERIOUS staining.  Like, my nails were orange.  Still are.  That's really the only bad thing about it.  However, I'm really looking forward to using Myrta with some Halloween stamping!  The consistency seems pretty well suited for konad - and it won't stain if it's on top of another mani!  Plus, I think He is King will also look great as an accent on a Halloween mani.  You can get Zoya at Ulta and online.  I'm not really sure who else sells them around me, so I can't really help much there.  You can get Pretty & Polished from her Etsy store or Llarowe.  Be warned, though, that P&P's zodiac collection is not available on Llarowe.  They are LE's that can only be purchased through Chelsea herself.  Also, Llarowe marks up the prices for P&P quite a bit, but they do deliver internationally.  Check her Facebook page for restock updates.

Ok, and now to answer some questions from Jen (The Polished Zombie) and Chrisie (Fingers and Toads)!  These two lovely ladies nominated me for the Leibster Award!  Thank you, ladies!  Hop on over to their pages and give them a follow!  Love both of their blogs.  Plus, I made it easy by giving you the links.  No excuses now, eh?  Hah!

11 Random Things About Me


1. I am fluent in French.  I started taking French in high school as just a requirement, but I got really into Francophone lit in college.
2. I have 2 kitties!  Jynx (white and black) and Fenway (black tabby):

3. I bake as a side-job.  I do gluten-free as well as regular.  I do primarily cupcakes, but sometimes I do cookies.
4. I'm allergic to red grapes, so I can't have red wine.  It sucks.  I love red wine, too, but I don't really like purple rashes, lol.  I'm like Violet Beauregard.
5. I read a ton of books a year.  For a while I would do a few a week, but I've sort of backed off since I started doing my nails.
6. I used to be on the swim team when I was little.  My best stroke was breast stroke.
7. I'm from Georgia, but I lived in Boston for 4 years.  Sometimes I think I'm more Bostonian than Georgian.  I'm back in Georgia now, but I seriously miss Boston all the time.
8. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm a huge dork.  I love most things sci fi and anime.  I'm not really the cosplay type of gal, but I've always wanted to go to ComiCon and DragonCon (the big sci fi convention in Atlanta).
9. I'm a total gamer chick.  I love video games and play them all the time with the hubs.
10. I married my high school sweetheart.  We met when we were 14/15 and started dating at 17.  We've been married for 7 years!
11. I turn 30 in 5 days.  O.o;


From Jen

1. What was your first bottle of polish you remember purchasing?  Hmm...  I can't remember all of the ones I bought as a child.  My grandmother and I would do our nails all the time, but they were mostly hers.  I guess I'd say Nicole by OPI Pink Flower Power.  I still have it, too.  :)
2. First lemming killed?  Very Pretty Vampire from a swap buddy!
3. First polish disappointment?  Hare Asteroid Turf  (see for yourself!)
4. Nail trend you absolutely HATE?  Ridiculously long nails.  I just think they're tacky...  If they curl over, that's just not pretty.
5. Favorite pair of shoes?  BCBG pink slingback platforms.
6. Cake or death?  CAKE A MILLION TIMES CAKE!!
7. Pirates or Ninjas?  Pirates, all the way.  I don't really know why, though, because Ninjas are pretty effing cool.
8. Unicorns or Narwhals?  I'll admit...  I had to look up a Narwhal.  When I did, I felt stupid, ROFL!  Unicorns, though.  My hubby and I always have this joke about how all girls love ponies.  So, I think that applies here as well.
9. Movie you can quote the most from?  Either Hocus Pocus or the Goonies!  Most B.A. movies ever made.  EVER.
10. What are you reading right now?  Let's Pretend this Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess.  If you aren't reading her blog, you need to.  Like, 20 minutes ago. GO.  Seriously.  Clicky clicky on the link.  I promise you won't regret it.
11. What's the most you've ever paid for a single bottle of polish?  Hmmm...  $20 (with shipping)?  I hated it, too.  Not the polish, but caving to the peer pressure of purchasing.  It made me feel dirty.  

From Chrisie

1. Do you have any talents?  Yup!  I was a band geek, so I can play several instruments, including the French Horn, Trumpet, and Mellophone.  I can also play *some* guitar, and I'm learning how to play my bass guitar when I'm not doing my nails.  Hence the nubbins. 
2. If you could name a child a totally weird name, what would it be?  Wow, that's a hard one.  I guess...  Maybe Tom Bombadil, rofl.  Sorry, I <3 LOTR.  And that name is RIDICULOUS.
3. I have several tattoo's, Do you have any or want any? what are they?  I do not have any tattoos.  I've always wanted one, but I can never make my mind up as to which one I'd want.  Plus, I'm TERRIFIED of needles!
4. Do you have any siblings?  Yes, I have 2.  They're my BFFs!
5. If you could have an exotic animal, what would it be?  A lyger.  Those things are B.A.!
6. If super powers are being issued out, would you get one? and which one?  I'd totally get one!  To be able to magically teleport to wherever I want to go, and be able to take friends along with you.  I detest traffic.  And DD'ing, lmao!  But when it's my turn, it's my turn.  Alas the things we do when we're responsible!
7. Do you know how to pump your own gas?  Of course!
8. What is your favorite movie?  Hard question!!  I can give you a mini list: Hero (a Chinese film - GORGEOUS), Snatch, The Life Aquatic, the Goonies, Hocus Pocus, LOTR (all 3), Harry Potter (all 8).  Yeah, not so mini.  I'm kind of a film FREAK.
9. Have you ever taught a a family member/friend how to do nail art/stamping? No, but I do get compliments all the time.  Although, technically, I just posted a tutorial.  Does that count?
10. Do you hear alot of dumb comments about your nail polish collections?  Yes.  Ad nauseam.  Although, most of my coworkers love my stash and various manis!
11. Do you like sandwich polishes?  Yes, but I'm not super great at doing them myself.

And that's that!  No questions tonight since this bad boy was so long.  Hope you guys have a great Wednesday night!