I was disappointed by this collection because I had wanted it SO BAD when I heard about it. And now that I have it... sigh. I wanted it to be more!
Or maybe I just wanted a glossy topcoat on top of these swatches. That's very likely.
China Glaze Mummy May I
Purple glitter in dark purple jelly. Eh. I'm not sure why this dries so satiny. It definitely needed topcoat. This was three coats: it went on sort of goopy on me. For all those who may be wondering (and I've heard it compared to it enough)... I do prefer Lippmann Bad Romance to this one. The jelly base is more glossy when dried and it has hex glitter, which I love oh-so-much.
I didn't like this polish as I was applying it. It came out really chunky because it was so chock full of orange glitter. And it's in this murky dark green jelly so it was almost kind of... icky. That's appropriate, given the name. But then I got to the third coat and it really started to pop. The closeup made me keep it, even though I'm not in love with this polish from a distance...
It looks like tons of copper coins, doesn't it??
China Glaze Zombie Zest (compared to SpaRitual Optical Illusion and Orly It's Not Rocket Science)
I can't believe I bought this polish THREE TIMES: one SpaRitual, one Orly and now this China Glaze. The China Glaze is on the two rightmost fingers. The SpaRitual is on the leftmost. And the most opaque one is the Orly. These are three coats on each and somehow, the Orly got opaque the quickest while the SpaRitual lagged. China Glaze was still on the sheerish side but at least there was very little VNL on the third coat. I actually think Zombie Zest and Optical Illusion are closer to each other than It's Not Rocket Science is to either of them. This is hands down the cheapest version of this gorgeous green shimmer in murky swamp green jelly. Totally worth it if you don't want to spring for the other two. Just add one more coat to the China Glaze and it should be totally opaque.
A reader with a New England-based university email address emailed us at Polish or Perish and it turns out she's just starting her first year of college. And I began thinking about how much I missed college at times. Most of the time, I'm grateful to have done it... and have FINISHED it. But the nostalgia of September is getting to me. The excitement of moving in, decorating your dorm room, meeting new hallmates, seeing old friends, picking classes and extracurrics, anticipating the year ahead. I had a hard time of it in college -- and some terrible memories and scars -- but overall, it was a happy, fulfilling, exciting time for me. And I miss the New England autumn so much. I went to a college with one of the most beautiful campuses in the world -- if I get married, I want to be married at my alma mater, it's that beautiful and means that much to me. And it was sheer magic in autumn: gorgeous fall foliage and ivy-draped academic gothic buildings overlooking the placid lake and rolling hills. I feel so far away from it now. I truly envy those of you who have just moved onto your campuses for the first time. It's an awesome time. College, especially a residential college, is such a privilege. Make the most of it.
September 7th (40m cardio), September 8th (35m cardio), September 9th (40m fitness walk, yes, again with advisor during lab meeting), September 10th (15m cardio)...
