Some Illamasqua greens! Hectic and Smash.

My cuticles weren't perfect when I took the Hectic photo about two months ago but I look back on the photo with nostalgia. The colder weather and the less time I have to pamper my hands is really starting to show in my photos. (Also, I'm on a new medication which is incredibly dehydrating. I can drink water all day and still be parched.)

Illamasqua Hectic

If you've read this blog for awhile, you know I love swamp/army/camo green. It was so perfect. Two coats, super smooth application. Maybe not totally worth the price AND shipping from the UK but it got here quick and I love it so... quite happy.

Illamasqua Smash

Not as easy to apply as Hectic but still a lovely grass green two coater. I was showing my SO this mani and in order to relate on his level (sort of), I said to him, "It's called Smash. Like 'Hulk smash!'" He looked at me with disbelief. Said: "The Hulk was emerald. That's not emerald."

He's right. It's not emerald.

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Some OPI Designer Series Swatches

I have to admit that the Designer Series polishes are my favorite holographic polishes.  They aren't quite as holographic as the Nfu-Oh holographic polishes, but they apply a whole lot better.  In fact, they apply just like regular polishes.  None of that crappy, streaky, draggy formula where you have to be careful to let the previous layer dry completely before moving on.  Nope.  The Designer Series polishes are fantastic.  You don't even need a special base coat to make these work.

First up, this is Original, a light purple.  The holographic effect on this polish is top notch and one thing I like about this color is that it's still gorgeous in the shade.  Of course, the holographic effect goes away in the shade, but it's beautiful either way.  I used three coats for this swatch.

I decided to take some pictures of these at a different angle to really show off the rainbow effect.

This is Shimmer.  Shimmer is a silver holographic polish that really should be saved for top coat use only.  It's very sheer and I needed four coats for this swatch.  I don't want to waste it so this is probably the only time I'll use it alone.  Still, this one is very holographic and just gorgeous in the sun.

This is Signature, a cool pink holographic polish.  I don't usually go for pink polishes, but this one is really pretty and I could picture myself wearing this one and loving it.  Hey, add holographic particles to most anything and it makes it better, right?  I used three coats of Signature for this swatch.

I saved my favorite for last.  This is Desire, a tan holographic polish.  I love, love, love this polish.  It's holographic and it's neutral enough to wear to work, in my opinion.  Although, I do work with a guy with a bright red mohawk so that just shows off our lack of a dress code.  I could get away with just about any polish for work so this is seriously tame.  I really wish I had more holographic neutrals.  I used three coats of Desire.

That's it for the rest of my holographic Designer Series polishes.  I hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed swatching these beauties.

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Swapper's Remorse...Redeemed! - OPI Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees

Those who know me best know that I'm a chronic purger - everything from polish & make-up to pots & pans. I don't keep clothes if I don't wear them in 12 months (cocktail and gala dresses being the exception), I don't keep things I don't use or need, I don't hoard, I don't collect.

Swapper's remorse is an odd thing - a special kind of regret that comes from trading a polish away...and then realizing that it's the perfect polish for that very moment and nothing else will do! You'd think after all my purging and swapping that I would have experienced this by now, but this was my first serious case of swapper's remorse!

I swapped away OPI Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees a while back. For what reason I don't know. And then I wanted it back in my life in a very bad way...luckily the beautiful thing that is swapping brought back to me what I had lost! I was able to get my hands on it again and I put it on immediately:

I thought it looked pretty cool with my Pradman onyx ring (You can buy them HERE - I have a bunch! Love!), so I put my fears aside to show you a full hand pic!

Ahhhh embarassing to show you my whole hand...it feels weird. My nails are quite "long" (for me) here, but I didn't bother cutting them down - I was just so desperate to put on SSitP!

The colour of this one is a dark, smoky grey with a blue undertone that verges on the cusp of being black. It also has one of the more interesting textures I've seen - the same consistency of Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow from the same collection. It's jelly-ish, but in the first layer you can see that it's kind of...grainy? I'm not sure how to define it, but it's not rough at all and the final result isn't splotchy or anything. To be honest I really like it! I'd like more polishes with this consistency.

Have you ever had swapper's/purger's remorse??? Were you able to get the polish back?

kittytokaren

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Ulta Ultra Violet - A Car Accident Color

I thought I would like this color. I thought it would be bright and vivacious, lovely and girly.

Little did I know that I would LOVE it!

Not only is this a neon purple/pinkish color, but it goes on like a dream in three coats and it has a blue shimmer to it! The shimmer was evident in the bottle, but I figured that it would probably disappear on the nail like some other polishes I know (I'm looking at you, Sally Hansen). I'm proud to say that it did NOT. It was so incredible to look at that I've informally designated it A Car Accident Color - you know, a color so awesome that you tend to look at it more than, say, the street while you are driving. Did I say that? I mean... never mind.

And since we know how I feel about layering, here she is with Nfu Oh 54 and OPI's Catch Me In Your Net -


The Nfu Oh just added to the shimmer and the OPI took on a slightly purplish tinge that was lovely, adding to the Car Accident-ness of this mani.

Anybody else have any Car Accident Colors?

Happy day, all!

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Street Wear Vice and E=mc²

Whenever I start trying to swatch on a theme, I inevitably get bored if there are more than twelve polishes that follow that theme in my stash. Hence, I haven't gotten through as many Street Wears as I've wanted to in the past year. But here are two more...

Revlon Street Wear Vice

Gunmetal grey shimmer. A little bit on the sheer side for a dark grey polish: three coats. And it's so totally brushstrokey, which I think is normal for polishes from this era. But it doesn't mean I love it. There's still something kinda badass about this polish though and I liked it better than I though I would.

Revlon Street Wear E=mc²

I would have been happier with this polish if I could ever get it opaque. This is four coats and I think six would've been perfect but I didn't have the patience for six that day. Still, I really liked this manicure, even though it was a bit sheer: it looked icy and textured and odd... and that appeals to me. This photo was taken after the second day of wear.

Close up of E=mc²

Sparse-ish blue and silver glitter in a grey-blue shimmer base. Interesting, though maybe not pretty.

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