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"

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. =)

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.

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.

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.

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 3: Dupes or not?

I didn't notice that my second (polish) storage box is quarter full. I can sense that I'm soon going to get a new one and that means moolah out.

And I notice that I haven't check for any dupes. Oh yeah! I'm eyeing on three colors. Let's start.

Zoya Envy (L)
OPI Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow (R)

Dupes or not?

Hmmm... Looks they are. Closer,

Judging base on the photo, they look pretty the same; when I suddenly remember the marvel hero "flash" and Mr. Sun.

Mr. Sun confirmed they are not. Oh well, for me, if you're not meticulous, either are good substitute for each other. Good that I own both :D

Next.

OPI Rumples' Wiggin' (Index/Ring)

MAC Little Girl Type (Middle/Pinkie)

In the bottle, they are really, very similar. When I put them in my nails, they are such a complement to each other.

Ordinary eye might see them as a powder purple. Who cares? I love it.

I'll be away from my screen for five days to attend our Youth Camp. Will resume on Saturday.

"Making money is a hobby that will complement any other hobbies you have, beautifully."--- Scott Alexander

Day 1: Short But Happy

This is it. Another  happening that pushed me into a funny challenge. So here I am again, whining about short nails which I purposely cut. Long story; gonna tell it at the end of this challenge.

Complaint #2: Not being happy about OPI Miso Happy With This Color. Okay. Maybe, maybe it's just that, it's not properly named. Seriously, heaven knows how hard I tried liking it as I swatch it 3-4 times; close to perfect but complaint #3, it takes forever to dry.

I took a shot of it while it's wet and I realized that hmmm... it's the perfect nude on my skin in contrast to my previous post that it's Essie Topless & Barefoot.

Under direct sunlight

Whatcha think?

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. 

If you want to be happy, practice compassion"

Nudity: Not An Issue

It's an art. Err... The art of star-nakedness. Lol

Rather on nails, it's always a yes. I mean, nudes vary depending on you skin tone/color and undertone. See this.

It's deceiving which one looks just right on my skin color. Luckily, I belong to the neutral undertone family but still, some shades of nude doesn't fit well.

Pinkie: OPI Miso Happy With This Color --- Well, I'm NOT! From the formula, application and drying time. Maybe the color looks okay but in reality it's not. It has a touch of pink but darker than Samoan Sand. Rating: 1/5

Ring: OPI Bare It In Trafalgar Square --- A vhtf shade. Surprisingly for OPI, it's not a sheer! 2 coats will be fine. Hmmm, it's close and I'm considering it. Rating: 3.5/5

Middle: Essie Topless & Barefoot --- The right one (imo). Essie had never been bad with formula and I love this shade and I love love love Essie. I might get another bottle for this one. Rating: 5/5

Index: Orly Pure Porcelain --- Another vhtf color and surprise from Orly. Opaque in just 2 coats. Even the brush is not a problem (which is usually Orly's fail). If I will refer on my skin color, I wouldn't say it's porcelain. When close up (third picture), it looks just a little bright. I think this one and MAC Studio Sculpt NC15 has the same shade. Rating: 3.5/5

Thumb: Zoya Kennedy --- Confusing. I thought it's a foundation. Deceiving. It looks perfect in picture but in actuality, it shouts BEIGE. I love Zoya as I love Essie because their formula is excellent, except  Zoya's drying time. Rating: 4/5

This is how they look in their respective bottles:

Over-all, I always love wearing nudes!

"Our admiration of the antique is not admiration of the old, but of the natural." ---Ralph Waldo Emerson

Chrome + Khrome

Boredom strikes me again and I tripped on my nails. Should I'll be getting those unopened, untested and forsaken.

The first lacquer, OPI Alpine Snow (matte). In the first place, it's not that I hate the mattified thing but the not-so-polisher-friendly formula. Secondly, when I learned about the mattifying top coat, the more it gave me the marbles. After a fashion and for the nails sake, I roughly forgo it.

I tried to make some effects what will transform the dullness to awesomeness.

Chrome. Yes! I pulled my two favorite chromes --- Missha HGR01 and China Glaze Hi-Tek. I mixed them literally over the stamping plate and... ta-da (above)!

Jeez. This is comely (despite some messes).  =) 

"People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." --- I Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

Day 7: Very Berries

How come I forgot about the berry? I assume that vampires love berries. What kind of berry? If hence, maybe they'll gonna love this one.

Uh-huh. Never seen any with this comparison. Vampy and berry and the same time. Credit for my friend's effort! Whew!

Taking pictures while Mr. Sun is oozing with hotness has never been this pleasing. This dark berry color was my choicest but I tried thrice because OPI made a not-so-polisher-friendly formula for this one. It looks gorgeous but too plain. So I decided to stamp it after three days.

OPI Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees (4 coats), Orly Luxe

That's for the left hand. Here's for the right.

Just approving. Oh my, it's the seventh day and I'm so done!!! Yippee!

Day 6: Count Dracula

You'll find the relevance in the end of this post.

As the challenge ends, it took me hard, really hard to look for the vampy shades that won't bore my readers. Swatching for this time's color is twice as usual. It's like I qualm about the shade for the first time; I trust Scrangie's review. Maybe I'm not in the semblance but I have to give it a try.

Dark green. Cal Poly Pomona green. Hunter green. Crucial ABCs huh? See for yourself.

Makes me think of Zoya Envy and Essie Licorice. It's OPI Here Today Aragon Tomorrow from Spain Collection and OPI Silver Shatter. Four coats to achieve the genuine opaque finish.

So here's about Count Dracula. Early English folklore believes that green is known to have signified witchcraft, devilry and evil.  In 1927 Broadway stage production of Dracula , the main actor wore the green-hued make up.