Yes, they're real...

thank you, they're genetic and unattainable. While some things, like a Van Damme middle split may be, I don't believe lovely spike-ish nails to be. However, they may be inconvenient and inappropriate for one's lifestyle.

I could write a novel on my relationship with my nails and our trials and errors and the ridiculous things I've done to try and keep them in shape.

In my opinion, asking a nail fanatic who is trying to grow hers (or his) out if one's nails are natural is the highest of compliments. This is when I know I have succeeded ;)

I remembered Teas-y Does It is the last color I wore before our very painful break up :( 

Some pre-break spam.

Lynnderella Deep Blue Seeing (I think!?), a Milani white.

Sally Hansen Garnet Lapis Prism, OPI Black Onyx

Lynnderella Bride of Franken, OPI Mrs. O' Leary's BBQ

And in September:

Breaking up is hard to do.

Noticeably, they are the longest in this last picture and that of course compromises their strength. And while I did like the way they looked at the time, I have to admit looking at the picture, perhaps they were maybe about 3mm too long. I can their weak spots in the pic and that makes me sad :(

They've been growing back pretty well, but I still feel like I'm wearing nubs. 

What was your worst break? What finger was it on? Nail friends and myself seem to concur they happen on pointer and thumbs. Not surprisingly, these seem to be the most frequently used fingers.

A Charm

My third and maybe final post on Pretty and Polished's Jawbreaker--the first polish I ever posted. I think I got it right this time.

Bottle shots are on my very first post which is oh my gosh over one year ago! See the bottle here.

Jawbreaker.

Jawbreaker.

bond...bond girls

I couldn't wait for these Bond Girl OPI Liquid Sands to be released. My sweet bf got some for me when they first came out. These two are Pussy Galore (pink with pink shimmer) and Solitaire (white with silver glitter).

I super dig them both and find myself wanting to grab them over and over, *but!!* there is one caveat about the light, textured colors, at least for me. They catch dirt and show it really easily, and it doesn't seem to want to come off :( so it has about 1 full day to maaaaaybe 1.5 days of wear at most.

Can I just lodge one complaint about the sands and the OPI brushes? The sands tend to fluff up the bristles and the OPI brush is already pretty big, so it can make it a bit unwieldy. As for the formula on these two, they're great. A bit more sheer than the previous ones I've tried, and Pussy G has a frosty base, which I noticed started to get a little strokey if I wasn't careful. For these reasons, I also think it would look great layered over a similar color. Cute, cute colors, great for spring and I can wear the white one year round :)

Pussy Galore. Sunlight.

Pussy Galore. Sunlight.

Solitaire. Sunlight.

Solitaire. Sunlight.

Pastel Party!

There's something about pastels--I just can't get enough of them, despite the fact that they always do me wrong. They are too eye-catching to resist. Even the pastel cremes with proclaimed “ease of application” often fit into one or more of these unpleasant categories: thick, gummy, stringy, they pull or are streaky. 

 

Most of the following pastels presented some problems, some got better with practice, some didn't. The only one I absolutely COULD NOT work with was Lime Crime Pastelchio (a sort of pastel yet neon green, such a cool color!). It was like painting with melted chewed gum. 

My Lifesaver was the easiest of the bunch and the best tip I could relay about pastels would be to let each coat dry in between layers. These pictures suck, so here's a bunch.

Nicole by OPI My Lifesaver. Artificial Light. (index finger looks fat!)

Nicole by OPI My Lifesaver. Artificial Light.

Pastelchio, Up and Kim-ing Pink, Milky Ways (Index has horrible Orly Repair on it!!)

Milky Ways, Pastelchio. Natural Light.

Milky Ways, Pastelchio. Bottles, natural Light.

Double Dolls

My favorite Dollish I've ordered has been this pretty one here--Greased Lightning--inspired by the car, what else? :) Red and dark-ish silver (almost gunmetal? But silver) hexes swim in a silky, milky white base. Also, I got the square bottle, woot. 

I actually haven't been doing to great with manis lately--been trying really hard for a water marble or a really special gradient add that to experiementing with four different cameras and trying to add a new photo software, apologies!!

Dollish Polish Greased Lightning. Sunlight.

Dollish Polish Greased Lightning. Artificial Light.

Dollish Polish Greased Lightning Bottle shot. Artificial light.

All Dolled Up

Dollish Polish was one of the first indies I got excited about because of their beautiful shades and glitters and haven't done a post until now. Strangely though, I can never keep my hands on Gym Tan Laundry, because I'm convinced it's not for my coloring, I'm never happy with the amount of glitters in their clear glitter bases, and then the three polishes I really want are discontinued :( womp

Expecto was one that I had really admired and lemmed for awhile, also unable to get my hands on it. Regardless about my feelings for Harry Potter (hey, I grew up with Harry, but it's not like I'm going to name my golden retriever after him...imo he doesn't look like any golden retriever I've seen) I thought it was a stunning polish look. 

After months, Expecto arrived and I filed my nails into the chicest short nubs I could and prepared. But when I put it on in what happened to be three smooth and silky sheerish white coats with turquoise/teal/blue glitter (I don't like to do three coats but this application happened to go on nice and easy and felt like it needed three), something was missing and I couldn't quite but my finger on it--and not because my polish was still wet. The glorious orange/gold flakies I'd read about and seen were not showing. I took it outside and angled my nails every which way, but to no avail. 

In the sunlight picture, the flakies are visible in the bottle, just a bit, as an orange glow right in the center. I do understand (I think) that the flakies are not supposed to be big blingin' flashy things. Despite this I still think Expecto is a great polish to own because of its smooth application and unique look. I feel bad saying it but I would like just a smidgen little bit of a pinch more magic in my patronum...patronus? I've considered sending an owl to Dolly regarding this issue*

Dollish Polish. Expecto Patronum. Sunlight. Why's the bottle upside down?

Dollish Polish. Expecto Patronum. Shade.

Dollish Polish. Expecto Patronum. Artificial Light. Sorry it's blurry :(

*I have not!! I would never do that! Harry Potter joke! I hope I don't get an owl for writing that O>o (awkward owl face)

It's been awhile: Chunky Rainbow Sugar (bit pic heavy)

Another major lemming I'd given up on getting. But then...you know. See below. It just happened. What can I say about the polish that has been my number all time indie lemming of all time since I’ve had indie lemmings which has really only been about six months but still six months is a long time to want something think about if you liked a guy for six months or wanted chocolate, okay?

I could list (and have listed) about twenty of the glitter shapes, colors, and sizes that are in Sweets and not be done. However, duplication would probably be lost, even on the most desperate (me!). 

As much as its maker has lost popularity in the public polish eye due to recent unpleasant events, on its own, it is still full of unique pieces I haven’t come across anywhere. The white glitter are not just white—they are white with a faint pinky/gold iridescence (in this light) and some of the whites are semi-sheer. The pearlescence (not a word, apparently) in these pieces is really different, it makes me think of wedding confetti. 

There is also an extremely faint particle shimmer to the sheer milky base that has a color shift so imperceptible that I really can’t tell you what it is or if I’m imagining it or if it’s part of the infamous “purposeful” glitter bleeds.

 This is two coats of Sweets over one coat of OPI Don't Touch My Tutu.

Sweets to the Sweet. Sunlight.

Sweets to the Sweet. Natural light, shaded.

Sweets to the Sweet. Artificial Light.

Sweets to the Sweet. Macro thumbnail shot. Sunlight.

Sweets to the Sweet. Macro bottle shot. Sunlight.

 

I did get more compliments on this polish than any others so far, which irked me a little, I mean, this was not, inevitably, my best polish job, what with having to spread and chunk on the glitters, don't get me wrong, application could have been much worse. 

But it didn't smooth out even after Gelous, Poshe, and Poshe ;) However, the amazing swapper who sent this to me told me about polishes finding their forever homes and this one has. Unless of course you are prying it from my cold, dead, hands.

A favorite, revisited!

I said I would dedicate another post to Jawbreaker and here it is! There's not much more to say--original Jawbreaker post A sheer-ish white base with almost all rainbow colors of glitter: red, yellow, green, blue, and purple, I maintain that Jawbreaker looks like, well, a jawbreaker, only more beautiful. 

I've seen some really beautiful paint jobs with Jawbreaker and I've been practicing, but I'd like to get it down perfect (if you have any tips...feel free to leave). So you may see another post on this lovely polish! Stay tuned. 

Jawbreaker. Natural Light (some sun).
 

Jawbreaker. Natural Light (shade).

Hello, Sweetheart!

Today we have: White Sprinkles! Or Sweets Way—a lovely sheerish white with lots of smallish light blue, light pink, and silver hexes.

Sweets applied a bit easier than Sugar House. There was a lot less chunking and it went on my nails much smoother. I think this formula was ideal and they did a great job. These colors are cupcake adorable and super sweet as the name implies.

The one issue for me that I think will continue to be a problem with Nails Inc is the lid :( I don’t know if the big silver lid is too helpful to my not too dextrous fingers, as pretty as I think it is. 

Sadly, I have a little issue with these pretty Sprinkle polishes, which is, as you can see, a little bit of shrinkage, even with one coat of Gelous, some waiting, and then a quick dry topcoat (Poshe). In pics you an actually see where the polish shrunk and the basecoat stayed the same size, haha! It took me forever to figure out what that was! No topcoat or just Gelous or something similar might work--I'd love tips :)

Sweets Way. Natural Light (overcast).

Sweets Way. Artificial Light.

Sweets Way. Flash.