Monday, November 7, 2011

OPI Roadhouse Blues


with flash


without flash

This is OPI Roadhouse Blues, from this fall's Touring America collection. Let me start off by saying this is the second time I've worn this in the past month(ish). That's saying a LOT, because I never usually wear the same color twice in, like, the same year, let alone month.
I have 4 polishes from the Touring America collec, and this is the only one I've worn. I originally wasn't going to buy this because I thought, meh, just a navy creme. I was way off on that!
This is super gorgeous, but my favorite part of this polish is the amazing application. I used 2 coats and one of Seche Vite and it just applied soo amazingly...for some reason the brush on this one seemed even better than usual, and the color is so even and pigmented. Just wonderful.
This definitely fulfilled my craving for dark polish (well, temporarily, anyways). It's so rich...navy's just one of those staple colors that you need in your collection.
I should really stop rambling now and just finish off by saying...I adore this polish!

Sincerely, Cat

Friday, November 4, 2011

Nicole Kendall on the Katwalk


with flash


no flash




Look at this gorgeous glittah!! :) This is Nicole by OPI Kendall on the Katwalk, from the new Kardashian Kollection (so many Ks...ugh! lol)
I used 2 coats, with one of Seche Vite...I could've used more top coat but one was sufficient. Absolutely freaking stunning! It's a mix of purple, blue, and green glitter in a blue base. The blue base is what makes this polish, I think...if it was just blue, purple, and green in a clear base, it wouldn't be half as unique or beautiful.
Good formula on this...it started out super good and by the time I got to the second coat, I could feel it getting thicker and glooping up on the stem of the brush. It worked out fine, though...I'll just probably have to use some thinner next time I use it.
The last time I bought a Nicole before this, they had the skinny little brushes. I knew they had switched to those terrible tapered brushes, but I didn't know that they now basically have OPI ProWide brushes...I'm so glad because ProWides are the BEST. Great brush on this one. Love it.
Removal...well, let's just say, I peeled this. HAHAHA. I never actually use remover for glitter. I know, bad habit, but it's so much faster to peel it off. Although it's terrible on nails! Ah well, I just buff 'em out.
Now, what I don't like about this polish...the Kardashians. UGH. Sorry, but I just can't stand them. I could get over it, though, for this beauty of a polish. I just have to ignore the name of it, haha. Seriously...it's not cute to put a K on the front of every word. Or should I say, kute.

Okay, okay...that was a bad joke, haha! I'm done. For now. Anyways...

Sincerely, Cat


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

New franken -- Shake It Out

I'm uber-excited about this...I haven't worn it yet but I couldn't wait to post even just the bottle shots!

On the left in both of the pics above is my newest franken...on the left is my (almost gone...) bottle of OPI Mad as a Hatter. I wasn't going for a specific goal with this franken...I just wanted to make a rainbow glitter in a clear base, so I just used an empty mini RapiDry bottle and mixed together a little bit of all the Burlesque glitters and some other random glitters...and it ended up somewhat resembling MAAH! I was sooo beyond thrilled.
I wanted to find a really great name for this. A lot of times when I name my frankens, I'm inspired by my favorite songs at the moment, recent experiences, etc. etc. etc. So, I recently downloaded Florence + the Machine's new song, Shake It Out. It's beyond great! I can't stop listening to (and singing along to) it. Such a pretty song; I love her voice, and the lyrics are great...it's a beautiful song/meaning/etc once you listen a little deeper. I've had a couple...I suppose you could call them..."tough" days lately, and I've really connected with this song, and it's really helped me through.
Anyways, enough about that...onto something more interesting! I swatched these on tape...
Mad as a Hatter on left, Shake it Out on right

SIO left, MAAH right
Sorry for the weird pictures, haha, but it works...this is one coat of each. Click to enlarge to see it better!! Obviously it's not a dupe or anything, but there's definite similarities. I'm just really glad I could make something somewhat like MAAH because I haven't used it in about a year and a half...my bottle's almost gone so I'm saving it for special occasions only, but I really want to use it! So now I can use this and not worry about it, since I can just make more whenever I need to!

Speaking of Florence, her new album came out yesterday...O. M. G. I adore her music so freaking much. And this album is even more amazing than I thought possible. Trust me.

Sincerely, Cat

Monday, October 31, 2011

OPI Pink of Hearts 2009



So, today's Halloween. I didn't do a Halloween mani, nor do I plan to, haha. I'm very uninspired this year. I did realize the other day, though, that October's almost over, and it's Breast Cancer Awareness month, and I haven't even done any BCA nails yet! Which led me to this.
This is OPI Pink of Hearts 2009. Geez, typing "2009" is weird...I can't believe I bought this polish over two years ago!! This was one of the first polishes in my "collection". My bottle's half gone, so you can tell it's older, haha!
Anyways, this is a sheer, candy pink creme...kind of jelly-ish. Good formula for a sheer color. I used 3 coats and one of Seche Vite, and it's almost completely opaque. Very cute color.
I still haven't used my Pink of Hearts 2010 that I bought last year...geez. I wanted to buy this year's and have a whole series of POHs, but this year's POH is Pink Shatter...I don't know about anyone else but personally I'm over shatters/crackles/etc. So, POH 2011 gets a pass from me! Hopefully next year is back to a normal polish. But anyways...

Sincerely, Cat

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Nicole mini haul!

Today's tiny Walmart haul...I was able to find some new stuff at my Walmart for once!!
 I got the Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber (lol) mini set, and 2 new polishes from the Kardashian Kolors line: Disco Dolls and Kendall on the Katwalk. Here's some closer pics:

 Kendall on the Katwalk. When I bought this, I thought it was blue, green, and purple glitter in a clear base...WRONG! I got home and found out it's in a jelly-ish blue base. I love it so much more this way! I can't wait to wear this one!
without flash

with flash
This is Disco Dolls...this one is also absolutely gorgeous! Gold glitter base with different sizes of multi-colored glitter in it, small and hexagon. It's like Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday (or any of its billion copies, haha) in a gold glitter base. I love this one but unfortunately, I already know how bad gold looks on me. Still super excited to wear it!
I didn't take any closer up pics of the Biebs set, but it includes a light pink glitter in a clear base called I Pink I Love Him (it looks like Deborah Lippmann Some Enchanted Evening, minus the hex glitter), a coral shimmer with a wicked gold shine called Coral Denominator, a red glitter in a red jelly base called Eenie Meanie Marry Me (interesting name for a polish...), and a foil-y looking purple shimmer called Canadian Star. I just can't resist minis! haha.
So, not much, but I'm excited about my new polishes! And lots of glitter...I love holiday collections ;)

Sincerely, Cat

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Orly Emberstone


with flash


without flash

This is Orly Emberstone...my first time trying an Orly! This is from the new(er) Mineral FX collection.
I used 2 coats of this and one of Seche Vite. This is really pretty! I don't think the pics are really accurate though. The first 2 look more blue-based, cherry red than it really is. The last 2 are too orange. In real life, it's a bright red with lots of gold shimmer, but it can look orange.
The application on this was good, I didn't have any problems. The brush seemed average. Not bad by any means, but nothing spectacular. I know this looks really beat up in pics...but I wore this for 3 or 4 days, so I obviously did get a lot of tipwear!
I really like this, but the problem is, like I said in my last post...this is similar to OPI Animal-istic, and I have to admit, I think I like that one a little better. The difference is that this is more glittery, with the gold in it, but really, the base colors are super close. Ah well, still love both of them!!

Sincerely, Cat

Friday, October 28, 2011

OPI Animal-istic



Sooo excited about this!! This is Animal-istic from the OPI Muppets collection. This polish is just amazingly gorgeous! First pic is with flash and the other two are without.
I took so many pictures of this...it's extremely photogenic. I used 2 coats of this and one of Seche Vite. The formula and brush on this seem even greater than usual. I did virtually no cleanup on this one, it flowed perfectly onto the nail. This is such a beautiful, bright, shimmery red-orange. I'm notorious for not being a fan of reds but I'm really feeling this one.
Weird, I was gonna skip the shimmer half of the Muppet collection...and after buying them, so far I'm more into the shimmers than the glitters. Judging from this one, I think I'll be picking up all of the shimmers.
Only downside...this polish is fairly similar to OPI Love is a Racket (I posted that one a little while ago) and Orly Emberstone (should be my next post). Not dupes, but definitely a strong resemblance. It's okay though, because I'm deathly in love with all three.

Sincerely, Cat