NOTD: OPI Rally Pretty Pink

Loving the shimmer and glimmer! Just have to put it under a strong light (in my case, I use the flash).

I heard someone saying that it's dead with Zoya Faye. I haven't tried it (Faye) but judging from its color, there's no doubt.

Glimmer, shimmer, shine!

I know that it has been forever since the last but it's good to be missed sometimes. =)

So this is what I got for today; after watching "A Fashion Fairytale" with my nieces for the nth time, at least I end up with a meaningful idea.

 OPI Your Royal Shine-ness (base)

China Glaze Hi-Tek (contrast)

Royal Shine-ness looks like a pale version of Jitterbug (in my opinion). Though they have very distinct shades in bottles, I guess it's just the lighting.

Another thing. Hi-Tek is said to be a chrome (as it is in Khrome Collection). By naked light, it is just an ordinary, plain, common and nothing-special lacquer 'cos even its bottle color doesn't say, "Hey, I'm a chrome". But until I set it under the rays of sun...

Hmmm... Now it seems to be like Deborah Lippmann Sugar Daddy, eh?

Marble Rush

This is not a sort of technique and style. It happened; just when you're doing a mani and an important guest came. Well-timed-wrong-timed.

So, it would be best to say that I did not purposely murder my mani. Haha.

I earnestly want to make it spotless since this is my first on-screen marble.

Is it fair to blame it to my guest? (>‿◠)✌

After I took this photo, I realize that my cuticles are so dry like the devil!

Base: OPI The "IT" Color

Marble: OPI Pamplona Purple

Color Club Mrs. Robinson

OPI Eiffel For This Color

I like the marble in my left index, right middle and ring fingers. The rest, forget it. Lol. Oops... I think I put too much oil in my cuticles!

Semestral break (that is mid-summer in United States) is officially up and I promise you to make the best of it. All but then, my life is going to be tougher this time in school so I have to have more drive.

"Write kindness in marble and write injuries in the dust"

In My Haute

Lately I have learned that when things get terribly dull, I have to make the beauty out of it. Whenever it gets unsatisfactory, ergo my mission to out-stand. The bottom line is, detoxify! =)

Inspiration is the key (and I believe that I would not pull a violent reaction here, lol). So just so you know, it's painstaking to be inspirit before all else, you're tormented. Blah. Whatever, haha!

I don't want to bore you. Two days ago, I saw in my feed the extra knockout Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (Essie) and definitely I'm salivating. (Scrolling down) Veronica Beard Fashion Show and I fainted. Period.

Who would have thought of doing this?

Looks legit. Haha!

1st pic: Daytime, natural light w/o flash

2nd pic: Daytime, natural light w/ flash
Base: ChG Passion (2 coats) coated with DL Holographic Edge of Glory
Contrast: Essie Mint Candy Apple

Those 'shine' that you see in my fingers are just the cuticle oil (I suppose).

" Your color wish is my command"

In The Navy

This is cute. Haha. To my brazenness and intestinal fortitude, I got something worth doing today hence my juices were drained last week and didn't find an apt thing to do.

I really missed stamping big time but only to my disappointment, I realized that I'm no longer that good. Oh my! So I go to the traditional way of stripping, I mean striping. Lol.

You may think that ribbon is not so fitting and should put anchor instead. Look...

Nubar Dark Wash Jeans, Misa Heaven White

So, whatcha think?

And lest I mention, it's mine and for the gurlfriends!!!

"When the oceans rise and thunders roar... Be still, and know that I am God" --- Psalms 46:10

Glucose-ing

It's been a very loooooooong time! Again my apologies for that (and for the future). Since everything is going terribly in my school (just overemphasizing), let me do the sugar-coating of all the goods.

If I say "the colors slipped already from my memory", would you be mad??? Nevertheless. Here it goes:

(pinkie to index)

Nubar Faded Jeans

OPI Kiss Me On My Tulips

DL Lara's Theme

OPI Pamplona Purple

OPI Red My Fortune Cookie

Coated with Essie Luxe Effects Pure Pearlfection

Sorry for the fuzzy lighting but this is what I want to figure out. Ehem... Hope it makes sense. =)

Physics 401: Electricity and Magnetism

Every one needs a break and that's very me! But I believe that I owe you a treat and here it is. 

(From pinkie to thumb)

CG Pull Me Close

CG Electrify (District 3)

CG You Move Me

Nails Inc. Trafalgar Square

From my experience, if you really want an obvious magnetic effect, you have to place the magnet extra closer that even a strand of hair can not pass. Uh well... And I think that's also possible to ruin your polish unless you're an OC. Haha. There. By the way, I used different magnets for the design. Pinkie messed up.

Nutmeg & Java

Seriously, I'm getting busy lately packing the things off my shelf. I mean, I dish out my shelves to make room now that I'm back to schooling. And for my nails, I have to choose from the neutrals to not-so-neutrals; and this one is a lot surprising.

Pinkie/Middle: Essie Glamour Purse

Ring/Index: OPI You Don't Know Jacques

Taupes and tantalizing! I supposed that Glamour Purse will be a dark brown as I refer to the bottle color. Really nice colors. I think more of a coffee java and my hair color which is nutmeg.

Dupes or not? (back-to-back)

From the very first, I'm lemming and dying to have Essie Mint Candy Apple. And finally it's here! Woohoo! But before I have it, I got the three nail lacquers from MAC Quite Cute Collection. There is the Mischievous Mint there, and right there, I know that they are dead dupes.

L-R Essie Mint Candy Apple (3 coats), MAC Mischievous Mint (2 coats)

You might say that Essie is mintier than MM. This is true but not after three coats in MM. They are dead dupes. But I have some concerns; 

> MM is a limited edition color. Meaning to say if it's gone, it's gone. Candy apple is always and just around. 

> MM is $16 per 10ml bottle. Candy Apple is $8 per 13.5ml bottle.

> With regards to application, MM is so creamy and the stem holding the brush is quite soft. Essie of course, two hands up.

> MM has prolong drying time.

I wonder what makes MAC expensive. Well, it's MAC. Maybe yes; I'm gonna buy a MAC nail polish again. Just because it matches my favorite lipstick.

Over-all, it's Essie that I'll always love.

Dupes or not?

This is just the result of my over curiosity and obsessive-compulsiveness. A friend told me that Misa Girls' Night Out is a dupe for NARS Schiap. To be exact, exact dupe. I was telling my brain, wait, I have to confirm.

L-R NARS Schiap, Misa Girls' Night Out

Misa is more neon that Schiap. I read a blog saying that Nicole by OPI All Kendall-ed Up is a dead on for Schiap. Another on saying Kendall-ed Up and OPI Kiss Me In My Tulips are dead dupes too. Ergo, Schiap and Kiss Me can be dead dupes. I'll confirm it by tomorrow.

Smokey

Sorry for being so late. Here it goes. I got two shades from Essie Brand New Bag Collection for Fall 2011; Power Clutch and Glamour Purse. I almost regret that I pick Power Clutch considering it's dead color (from the bottle); and just tried it now.

Okay. Some are saying that it's a grey-green and smokey. For me, it's a true smoke and grey. Or I may say an "incomplete grey". I can not see the green part. Does undertone also affect the color of nail polish like lippies and foundations?

Bluer Than Hue

I ended with unexpected colors today. I was expecting that one or two will be close colors (except for Jade) but not even one. These colors are as follows (pinkie to thumb):

Essie Go Overboard - Darker than the bottle color when dried. This is a blackened teal.

China Glaze Shower Together - Good consideration for teal.

Zoya Phoebe (matte) - This is the blue in turquoise.

OPI Fly (Nicki Minaj Coll.) - Too green for teal, too pale for blue.

OPI Jade Is The New Black - Nice jade.

Overall, I'm happy that I tried them in my nails but they leave a gruesome stain! Especially OPI Fly.

Toasted Mandarin

This might sound ridiculous but I call it legit. OPI Chop-sticking To My Story, you're such an epic!

One of a kind. Not too bright, not too dark, not too red, not even just right. It's burnt. Just like the chrysanthemums.

When I'm bored, I do stamping. When I'm in a rush, I do glittering.

Just did some stamping in line of my Chinese ancestry. I wish I did a gradient (of black or gold) instead but so I'm lazy to do that. Sorry for the blurred ring finger. I was trying to get a good focus (for my right hand) but since it's been gloomy for the past days, I have to take a quick shot before the clouds cover me. Again, ChG Passion for the stamping.

Anyho, I love so much this nail art tho stamping gives me a li'l pain in the bumster.

In The Ayer

It's not about this and this; it's about Deborah Lippmann Glitter in the Ai(ye)r.

Who wouldn't put her hands in the air with this gorgeous mani??? Two coats of Essie Borrowed & Blue for the base and several coats of DL.

As usual, DL has always been thick yet smooth. Just a little problem --- I end up with a chalky, uneven tips. I don't really know if it's Essie Borrowed & Blue, DL or Seche.

Just did some tripping. Bleh! The last time I paint is (*think, think, pause), oh, with DL Lara's Theme!

Stamp attack

It's been five long days. My fault for being loaded and I'm sorry fo that. I was inspired to create a Chinese motiff. I have three colors from HongKong Collection though but I think it would be better to be more creative.

So would you believe that I wore these colors for five days??? Surprising for me because I don't wear polishes for more than two days. Oh now it depends and I think, this is becoming more frequent.

First pic is under the lamp and I have to crop it because of too much lighting. Second pic is under sunlight and the last is indoor w/ natural light.

I used OPI Greenwich Village (4 coats) for the base and ChG Passion for stamping; and for the contrast, I did an overlapping stamping using Konad M73 since GV is sheer. When I went out for foot spa, I surprisingly got the most exaggerated compliments from the manicurists! Hahaha.

For the (Q)win!

My stoke level is up to the sky. Sister bought this shade after my strong commendation.

Butter London is really a good fancy brand from the shades, formulation (it's actually a 4 free), application and drying time. However, it never lasts without Seche Vite. Over all, I won't regret getting like five more bottles (a bottle costs $14).

Butter London All Hail The Queen (3 coats)

Tee hee! That's so queenly. This jelly finish lacquer gives me no problem at all. It is described as semi holographic but I don't care. I mean, clearly you can see how adorable it is, err... I don't know what else to say; I'm captivated.

"All hail their queen, fair regent of the night."

Dupes or not?

I love seeing celebrities wearing fairish nail polishes. Just like us, she loves OPI too! But much to my curiosity, I know that I've seen this India Mon before. Hmmm, oh in HongKong!

Alright, let me show you this and let yourselves be the judge.

Indoor at daytime w/o flash

Under the lamp (cool light)

Indoor w/ flash

Against sunlight w/ flash

Direct sunlight

OPI Mon-sooner or Later (L)

OPI Red My Fortune Cookie (R)

They are not dupes but I think either can be a good replacement to another, whatcha think? I don't have much to say about this because both came from the same family of color and yeah... except that Jason Wu and Rebecca Taylor used that OPI thing and that made me buy the Mon-sooner. Influence huh?

Day 10: Lois and the hologram

Apparently, this should have been posted yesterday but I hosted an interment and funny things came around and forgot about this one. Okay I'm doing it; at least I was able to finish the installment for April. Woohoo! Another achievement. Haha.

This is a real holo. And I've been looking for this color since ancient and, eureka! Would you believe that I bought three bottles???

Having a hard time withstanding it's awesomeness? Me too. All of the pictures were taken outdoor, no flash. Oh, it's China Glaze He's Going In Circles (3 coats) and Orly Gumdrop.

Oh no. My nails are getting longer finally. =)

"Maybe Holgy's right. Maybe we are all holograms." --- Guantanamo Boy