Gettin' Nailed

Dear La Boheme,

2010-03-13T14:49:00.004-06:00

Can you forgive me for my past trash-talking? I now appreciate the beauty you truly are...

I hope you can accept my apology.

Love, The Asian Girl

"After this one, you're gonna need a root canal..."

2009-09-24T17:00:00.005-05:00

Hey!!! How's everyone doing? School and work have taken over my life...again. But don't worry, I still seek refuge in nail polish!

Back in February, I talked about Hard Candy Sky...guess what, Hard Candy is now available at select Wal-Marts! For those of you fairly new to nail polish, Hard Candy was a huge trend back in the '90s with their out-of-the-ordinary pastel polishes. Urban Decay also came to prominence around the same time (coincidentely, UD has also released new polishes, albeit minis).

I heard the news back in August, so I started stalking a few local Wal-Marts. Sorry for the low quality pics, I only had my Blackberry on hand.

9/17/2009 :(

9/24/2009 :D

Lava: red/gold glitter; slightly orange-y redFishnet: red creme

Pretty in Punk: hot pink creme

Date Night: mauve-pink glitterHypnotic: dusty pink with gold shimmerSplendid: sunny yellow creme

Sweet P: lime green glitterEnvy: blackened green shimmer

Frenzy: teal cremeMr. Wrong: purple/gold foil-ish microglitterMr. Right: blurple shimmer

Hot Pants: hexagonal and small glitter in a purple jelly baseRumor Mill: vampy purple creme (similar to OPI LPAD)Break Up: hexagonal and small glitter in a translucent white base

Sugar Daddy: white with gold shimmerThe End: black creme

I only bought Mr. Wrong and Envy, the two standouts of the collection. Envy reminds me of satin sheets...it's a rich, blackened green similar to Wet 'N Wild Craze Morbid but more of an emerald green sheen. Mr. Wrong is unlike anything in my collection...it has light purple and gold flaky microglitter which gives it a foil-like texture. I have a feeling I may end up impulsively buying Lava in the future since I have a weakness for red glitter polish. I didn't really feel any of the cremes; Splendid and Frenzy look nice but they remind me too much of Zoya Pippa and Color Club Bizerk Turq. That, and I'm not much of a creme person.

The rings suck. I think it was just thrown in for familiarity with the old brand. They're made of hard plastic and do not stay on the cap securely. I'm guessing they added shrink wrap to secure the rings and to keep those pesky tweens from "sampling" the polish on the display or on themselves.

The makeup line looks REALLY tempting but I'm on a strict no-buy. I told myself if I won Chanel Holographic on eBay, I would be on a 2-week no-buy and on restriction for another two weeks. This is my only indulgence for now! I hope you find Hard Candy at your local Wal-Mart; I hear it was only released in 3000 stores. Keep your eyes peeled!

The crown jewel of my collection...

2009-09-01T16:03:00.004-05:00

I don't say that statement lightly. During my hiatus, I've accumulated quite a few amazing HTFs, but this one takes the cake. I mentioned back in February that I had a line when it came to spending on a nail polish, but I crossed it and then some for this. I had Essie Starry Starry Night as my main lemming because I never thought I'd actually get the chance at Chanel Ciel de Nuit.

Ciel de Nuit was born from a Seventeen magazine/Chanel contest back in 1997. They revived the contest last fall with Haute Chocolat winning out. I clearly remember seeing this color in Seventeen but it was too expensive for 12-year-old me. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you look at it), the 24-year-old me decided to throw caution in the wind when she saw it up on eBay. I spent an insane amount for this...if you're curious, look at recent eBay auctions for this color. It will make you gasp in horror.

I own 3 polishes similar to Ciel de Nuit and I'm sad to report that none of them live up to it. Both Jessica Twilight and Naturistics Crystal Blue Pearl are jellies but lean closer to indigo/violet. Maybelline Twinkle Twinkle is more blue but isn't a jelly.

For some reason, a few John Mayer lyrics came to mind after looking at this color in person for the first time...

"I know you're mine, all mine, all mine
but you look so good it hurts sometimes..."

No pics...yet!

2009-08-25T22:27:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited that I couldn't wait to post...my Rescue Beauty Lounge blogger polishes arrived today!!! :D

I haven't had time to try them on myself, but just enough time to swatch on nail tips...wow! I was a little worried about Orbis Non Sufficit and Mismas being dupeable, but they greatly exceeded my expectations...they are both one-coater cremes! The formula on these two are a great testament to why RBL is considered the gold standard for nail polish application.

And Scrangie...words cannot describe this shade. If you have to splurge on ONE high-end polish this year, Scrangie is IT! There is nothing out there similar; it is one of a kind! I've seen quite a few pictures of the three blogger polishes on the nail board, but it's still a joy to see them in person. Pictures don't do any of these polishes (ESPECIALLY Scrangie) justice.

After months of waiting, I finally found the Tracy Reese Sally Hansen Salon polishes! There's a CVS on my way to Pensacola Beach at Gulf Breeze proper that I make a point to attempt to visit every time I'm in the area. This little ritual of mine began when I found the fall 2008 Barielle Shades collection there back in March, so it's kind of my drugstore polish good luck charm. I picked up Night Hydrangea and Honeydew.

I'll try to get some pics up as soon as I can! I've been pretty busy between work and class, so please bear with me!

"It's what's inside that matters."

2009-08-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

I received some samples from Diamond Cosmetics and I must say, I'm extraordinarily impressed. At first glance, the bottles of Diamond Cosmetics are relatively nondescript. However, once you apply...wow!

Don't Teal My Heart Away is a pretty creme teal. Teal is also the color of Ovarian Cancer awareness...Diamond Cosmetics will donate $0.25 with each bottle sold of this color.

Hue Are You is a burgundy with a gold shimmer...it has a gorgeous foil-like finish.

My personal favorite is Hot Summer Pink, part of their Summer 2009 collection. It's a neon pink with a bit of a blue flash. As with most neons, it can't be captured accurately; it GLOWS!

After seeing Oh, Tiff I had to compare with other popular Tiffany blues. On my index finger is three coats of China Glaze For Audrey, which is darker and more blue than Oh, Tiff. Three coats of Oh, Tiff is on my middle finger. The ring finger is two coats of Nina Ultra Pro's In A Tiff which is slightly lighter. Just for kicks, I applied 4 coats of Rescue Beauty Lounge's Bikini Bottom, a sheer jelly, on my pinky finger.

You can pick up any (or all, I highly recommend them!) of these polishes at www.diamondcosmetics.com for $2 each. There are a few colors at $2.50, but none of the above. Not only do I recommend them, I came back and bought a few more, especially this gem:

While I love OPI My Private Jet, it's just too sheer. A long lemming of mine, Color Club Revvvolution, was a disappointment. Chainmail Charm, in my opinion, is the best charcoal/black holo I've had the pleasure of using. It applies well and only needs 3 coats for opacity...all for $2. So what are you waiting for?!

Revlon's Runway Collection and reasons why I may need a dunce cap

2009-08-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

Back in the day as a wee nail-biter, I used to fantasize about having long, elegant nails. I was especially envious of acrylic nails...I wanted a perfect french manicure. My parents were (and still are) very frugal, so there was no way my middle school nails were getting done at a salon. My cousin obtained a Fing'rs press-on nails kit, thus my quest for the perfect (plastic) manicure began.

I had the same issues at 24 with these nails like I did with the Fing'rs nails I used at 12: they're too curved. My nails are flatter, so I get dreaded bubbles. As you can see, only my pinky nail escaped that fate, but with only 24 nails a pack, you only get one shot to get them glued on correctly. Considering that this is a repeated problem for me; is it just me or do I need a dunce cap? Please heed that this is someone who has trouble with her Bumpits.

Check out the detail though...I'm impressed! These aren't the staid French manicures of my youth. I wish they did work out better for me; if anything for the gorgeous designs!

One last thing: I wish these came with the adhesive stickers as well as the glue. I've never been a fan of nail glue since it requires acetone to soak it off. The less damage to natural nails, the better, I say. Other than that, it's a lot quicker, cheaper and will damage your nails a lot less than acrylics, so it's a nice change of pace.

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..."

2009-08-10T08:49:00.005-05:00

Wow.

I haven't posted since May, but nail polish hasn't been far from my thoughts...in fact, the very opposite. In fact, I've had to move on from my cassette tape cabinet into some new digs...

I found this in Target for $30...I think the capacity is similar to a Helmer. Unfortunately, the closest Ikea is 6 hours away in Atlanta, so I have to make-do somehow. :)

I've been trolling around a bit, sometimes on Makeupalley and posting a random comment here or there on my fellow bloggers' sites. It's been a crazy summer to say the least thanks to work and the occasional crazy stuff that pops up in my personal life. However, there's something else that will be taking up my time: it's official today...I'm returning to school on August 24. I finally took the plunge and I'll be starting classes toward a GIS (geographic information systems) certificate.

Some recent observations about nail polish:

1...Matte is EVERYWHERE! I swore I'd never get an OPI matte, but I'm really interested in La Paz-itively Hot. I'm considering buying Essie's Matte About You topcoat but I'm perfectly happy with my Nubar V For Men.

2...Zoya, Zoya, Zoya! If you follow nail polish and/or the MUA nail board, you've heard about Zoya's 5000 Twitter offer. My only regret about this offer was that I wish I knew that I could use the $18 credit toward Zoya Remove+ (the BEST nail polish remover EVER) instead of three free polishes. Honestly, I own more than enough Zoya polishes; I took clear advantage of the polish exchange...unlike some unsavory folks taking advantage of circumstances...but I digress.

3...Victoria Nail Supply. I'm very impressed by their quick availability, exceptional customer service and prompt delivery.

4...Wet 'N Wild Craze. While it's probably one of the cheapest drugstore brands, Wet 'N Wild does not scrimp on quality. Black Creme is one of the easiet-to-apply and opaque black polishes out there (perfect for frankening/layering purposes). I was lucky to find Craze at my local Walgreens (yet I felt a bit insane for calling them and asking if they had them in stock). It's still summer yet I'm already wearing Morbid, a fantastic blackened forest teal. The Craze polishes are worth it; they're cheap ($1.99!!!) and a dream to apply.

5...Chanel Jade. Okay, shoot me now...I've caved into green madness. I've obtained a couple of green HTFs (OPI Jasper Jade and Hey! Get In Lime!) and now I'm officially a green convert. I don't know about y'all, but I want Jade NOW! I didn't buy into any of Chanel's summer or fall lines (but I did get two of the disappointing Tokyo Happening polishes). I wasn't too thrilled about Orange Fizz (but picked up a much cheaper alternative; Wet 'N Wild Blazed), Golden Sand was too similar to last summer's Antilope, Intermezzo is supposedly a pain to apply, and I found Gondola too close to Cosmic Violine. October can't come fast enough...

I'll be posting again from time to time. I have tons of pics and reviews that haven't hit the internet yet, so stay tuned!

Més que un club

2009-05-27T16:46:00.006-05:00

My favorite soccer team, FC Barcelona, won the Champions League title today (well, night in the EU now). In celebration of their victory over Manchester United, I created an appropriate manicure:

The blue is China Glaze Blue Sparrow while the garnet is China Glaze Crystal Ball. But let's dress this down a bit...

I wasn't feeling the matte trend at first, but I'm hooked! I absolutely adore Nubar V For Men, a matte finish nail protector. For those of you not willing to drop over 20 bucks for KO's matte polishes, this is the way to instant matte goodness! I doubt I will buy from OPI's upcoming matte line because the colors I would've most likely acquired are already part of my collection. Why drop $8.50 when I can spruce up my own polish? Have you opened up to matte yet? Why or why not?

TODAY ONLY!!! 30% off at LindsayLou.com!

2009-05-25T11:20:00.007-05:00

For those of you like myself who missed out on Rescue Beauty Lounge's awesomely awesome 50% off sale (Curse you, job!), LindsayLou.com is having a Memorial Day sale today. 30% your entire purchase! While they do have Rescue Beauty Lounge, Recycle and Grunge are out of stock. :( They are also offering FREE FedEx ground shipping! So what are you waiting for?!

I finally took the plunge and acquired a couple RBL bottles for myself...I've been lemming Bikini Bottom and Square Pants since I saw them on The Polish Addict last summer. Now they're all mine!!! *evil laugh*

I've read that many nail bloggers considered RBL (and Lippman, another plunge to take in the future) as the gold standard for a nail polish formula: I'm a believer. This is the least fussiest yellow I've dealt with and NO STREAKS!

Here is RBL Square Pants topped with Nubar Angelic Glitter:

Finally, I'd like to take the time to remember the men and women who are serving the US abroad and those who have died in the line of duty. For more information on Memorial Day, check out this article at Time.com. Hope you're enjoying your Memorial Day weekend!

Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!

2009-05-22T14:30:00.003-05:00

The month of May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the US. The first week of May was chosen due to the first Japanese immigrants in the US arriving on May 7, 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad (thanks to many Chinese laborers) on May 10, 1869. (Thanks, Wikipedia!) In commemoration of this month, I tinkered around with some nail art:

colors used: Essie Marshmallow, Essie Mesmerize, China Glaze Cherry Pie and L'Oreal Bijou Gems B. Outrageous

My parents immigrated to the US from the Philippines in 1981 and 1982 respectively. I've never traveled there, but I look forward to in the future and hope I will be accompanied by my parents. Even though I was raised in the US, my parents never let us forget our heritage. I figured, since I'm "The Asian Girl", I better put it to good use and spotlight my heritage and all the varied yet equally fascinating cultures that make the US a melting pot.

It's been a while since my last post, and wow, have I been amassing some serious nail goodies (RBL, Nubar, even more Zoyas, etc.). I'm also on MUA now as theasiangirl, so I'll be around! Hope y'all have a great (and safe) Memorial Day weekend!

Nail vs. Nail: White-Kwik-Silvr vs. Sugar Daddy and other minty concoctions...

2009-05-13T19:54:00.004-05:00

After seeing China Glaze White-Kwik-Silvr on Perfectly Polished Tips, I HAD to have it. I found it at (used) at a local nail salon along with OPI DS Dazzle. Unfortunately, after I put it on at home, I was a bit disappointed.

index, middle and left side of thumbnail: China Glaze White-Kwik-Silvr; ring, pink and right side of thumbnail: Misa Sugar Daddy (please excuse the smudges; they both require four coats)

It's a dupe for Misa Sugar Daddy.

Misa Sugar Daddy is part of the Misa Sugar Sugar collection. I picked up 5 out of 6 thanks to the awesome promotion back in December. I was inspired by The Polish Addict's amazing swatches, including some of the sheers layered over black. Sugar Daddy is a touch more opaque than White-Kwik-Silvr but both remind me of glittery snow.

Speaking of snow...I got some great news from the people at Baskin-Robbins!

I mentioned in a recent post about how my heart was broken when I saw that York Peppermint Patty was pulled from the lineup. Two days later, someone from Baskin-Robbins found my post on Google Alert and let me know that it wasn't discontinued, but merely seasonal and is available NOW! I shall be calling my local Baskin-Robbins and see if I can get my ice cream fix ASAP...

As a side note, I also received an amazing green in the mail today: China Glaze Emerald Sparkle. I really wanted it last year but all of the local Sally Beauty Supply stores ran out of them almost immediately. I've only been ordering nail polish from online suppliers recently, so most of them stopped selling Emerald Sparkle by then. I can see what the hoopla was all about; it's insanely gorgeous. I'll post up pics in due time :)

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T15:12:00.003-05:00

My mom only wears nude pinks and sheers, so I've posted up a couple of colors I own that I think would suit her:

Chanel Allegoria

Allegoria isn't a bad color (albeit boring), but is a major pain to apply. This is one of the streakiest polishes I have ever encountered. I have on Barielle Camouflage underneath to help balance this out along with four coats of polish. It is currently part of Chanel's Celestial Lights collection. The price isn't justified, so move on to the queen of these colors: Essie.

Essie Mademoiselle

I bought Mademoiselle after seeing The Polish Addict's great French manicure tips. It's a sheer jelly pink. Mademoiselle might be streaky, but it's not quite as bad as Allegoria. A base coat of Camouflage will help out greatly. However, Allegoria is more opaque and is probably better for "regular" use, but Mademoiselle is perfect for French manicures.

Even if you don't wear basic colors like these, I wish a happy Mother's Day to my mom, your mom (no pun intended, lol), and all moms everywhere!

Just another lazy day here at Gettin' Nailed...

2009-05-09T17:04:00.009-05:00

Rules:

1. Respond and rework: Answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.

2. Tag eight other people.

What is your current obsession? Searching for discount polish...anytime, anywhere!

What is your weirdest obsession? Rearranging my polish collection and tabulating its exponential growth on an Access database and Excel spreadsheet.

What are you wearing today? Right now? A red halter bikini.

What's your favorite comfort food? Filipino food (i.e., chicken adobo with rice, arroz caldo or pancit palabok) or fast food

What would make today special? A cheeseburger from the Oval Office (a local burger joint in my hometown)

What would you like to learn to do? Get my golf game going, figure out my career path, finally get some crisp Konad transfers

What's the last thing you bought? A Liquid Sunshine from The Dock at Pensacola Beach...but I bought some awesome NYX Girls polishes at an independent beauty supply earlier today!

What are you listening to right now? My friend is in her bedroom watching Californication on DVD. I will probably listen to some DMB on my way home.

What is your favorite weather? 75-80 degrees; typical NWFL April weather...we are now approaching summer so now it's in the high 80s.

What is your most challenging goal right now? Figuring out my future. It's a pretty rough economy and I really don't know what I want to do career-wise, even though I am now a college graduate.

What do you think about the person who tagged you? I wasn't actually tagged, but I think Pink Sith is pretty cool. I do love her logo, though.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would it be? NEW ORLEANS AND BARCELONA. For those of you new to the blog, I freakin' love New Orleans and try to head out there when I can. If I could get permanent residency/dual citizenship in the EU, I would love to live in Barcelona. Spain is gorgeous and cheap(er) for the EU.

If you could swap lives with anyone for one day who would it be and why? I honestly wouldn't want to swap lives with anyone else. We all have our own monkeys on our backs...same shit, different person.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? An awesome tapas bar in Spain...I want some yummy (and not too heavy) grub right now! Throw in a couple glasses of wine and I'm set!

What would you like to have in your hands at right now? A confirmation that my school loans have been paid in full; w00t!

Which language do you wanna learn? Spanish, German, Tagalog

What do you look for in a friend? A compatible personality. I need someone who just "clicks". Other traits are negligible; I collect some pretty random friends.

Who do you want to meet in person? An online friend of mine who urged me to study abroad for a full year before I finally mustered up the balls to do so myself. I'd like to thank him personally for one of the best experiences in my life (so far).

What's your favorite type of music? Honestly, my roots are mid-1990s R&B. However, as of lately, I've been branching out...my current playlist includes Sublime, DMB, Adele, Lil' Wayne, T.I., Taylor Swift, Lady GaGa and Kylie Minogue. My friends are trying to work on me when it comes to country, though! I DO live in the South, lol.

What's your dream job? I wouldn't mind being the Asian Carrie Bradshaw. I'd get to dish, wear cute clothes, and party? Awesome!

If you had $100 now what would you spend on it? Oh fuck, I sure hope 8ty8, H2T and Transdesign's pages are down if that happened.

Things you wish you could change in the past? I wish I would've picked a career already. But then again, I feel like I would've boxed myself in and wouldn't have studied abroad in England and left my options open. I'm a believer in "whatever happens is meant to be".

Fashion Pet Peeve? Oh damn...those high-waisted pants that were trendy for a little bit. Grey brown nail polishes a la You Don't Know Jacques! Kathy Van Zeeland purses. Chipped nail polish. (if my nails are chipped, I'm just being lazy! NOT trendy!) Looking like a human Barbie doll (a la Carrie Prejean AKA Miss California).

Do you admire anyone's style? I loved Christina Aguilera's retro look during her Back To Basics album. I'm a huge fan of Dita Von Teese's style. If I had money (and a lot more motivation/initiative), I'd definitely try to emulate it.

Describe your personal style. A lot of my style lately is The-Asian-Girl-is-too-worn-out-to-do-something-about-her-style-because-she-wakes-up-at-4am-every-morning. I really like to look nice when I have the energy to. I wear a lot of black because it coordinates with everything (AKA I'm kinda cheap). As of lately, I've been experimenting with more colors (clothing, make-up and nail polish-wise) because with my skintone, there aren't many colors I can't get away with.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? I swear, Baskin-Robbins broke my heart when they discontinued their York Peppermint Patty flavor. One time I walked in, looked at their selection and when I couldn't find it, I walked out without buying a thing. My sister exclaimed that Baskin-Robbins isn't the kind of place you window-shop at.

What's your favorite makeup brand? I have a secret: I don't really wear much makeup. I will if I'm going out on the town (once or twice a week), but I work at a snack bar 4-5 days a week. There is no way am I wearing make-up to melt while I work in a small kitchen next to a grill and a fryer. I wouldn't mind experimenting with higher-end brands in the future (most of my stuff is MK and HIP), but I think my nail polish addiction is sucking up enough of my limited funds as it is.

What makeup do you use a lot? My Clinique pressed powder. I had an MK pressed powder that sucked in comparison. I love the color and I love the application; I can't ask for more.

Do you get enough beauty sleep? Yes or no? Why? No. HELL NO. I wake up at 4:30am almost everyday. Even today, on my day off, I still woke up at 4:30. Oh, well.

Why did you start your (beauty) blog? I wanted to share that I, The Asian Girl, am addicted to nail polish. *other imagined NP addicts: "HI, THE ASIAN GIRL!"*

What do you think is the best feature about yourself? I'm honest to a fault. And I think that's super.

What is your favorite vacation spot? I'd really like to be back in Barcelona. I don't want to say New Orleans because it's only like, 3-3.5 hours away.

What do you like least about yourself? My tendency to procrastinate. I WILL OVERCOME IT...tomorrow.

How much nail polish do you own? Over 300. (THIS IS SPARTAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Okay, lame movie quote break is over.) This is so disturbing to me considering that I barely broke 100 at the end of 2008. If I keep going at my current rate, that would mean I would own about 750 bottles by the end of 2009. I personally don't mind, but I think my wallet does.

I tag... Eh, I think I'll follow suit with Pink Sith and not tag anyone. I really do like Brooke at Getcha Nails Did's new "Getting To Know..." series featuring prominent nail bloggers, though. It's definitely an effective (and very entertaining) way to find out the background story of your favorite blogs and the people who write them!

Nail vs. Nail: Chanel Nuit de Russie

2009-05-08T14:44:00.005-05:00

While drugstore hopping, I found not one, but TWO colors comparable to Chanel Nuit de Russie, from winter 2008's Moscou collection. I present to you, Sinful Colors What's Your Name and Nicole by OPI Midnight Madness.

I do like Nicole's range of colors but I hate the price. It irks me to pay $6.99 for it, especially when I can get China Glaze or OPI online for 3-4 dollars. Also, my local stores suck and rarely carry any unique colors, with the exception of Valentine's Day when my local Wal-Mart stepped it up and had a LE Nicole stand. I missed out on Dream Maker, a sheer glittery pink but picked up Sinful Colors' Glass Pink instead. Sinful Colors is an underrated gem of the drugstore nail polish world and cheap: $1.99 each! Even if a color sucks, I won't feel too guilty (unlike certain Chanels I have bought in the past).

Chanel Nuit de Russie is on the ring fingernail. All three polishes are black-based with fine blue glitter. Nuit de Russie is in the mid-range when it comes to glitter density. The glitter is duochrome and changes from blue to green.

Nicole by OPI Midnight Madness is on the middle fingernail. I find it to be the least alike of the three due to the glitter color, which lacks the blue-to-green duochrome color that the other two possess. Midnight Madness is what I hoped Zoya Kotori would be like. It also has the densest glitter.

Sinful Colors What's Your Name is on the index fingernail. It is the darkest of the three but has the largest and the least dense glitter particles. This is my personal favorite; I'm very surprised by the quality of this polish.

All three colors are three-coaters with great formulas and application. I don't remember the exact date, but I think the Moscou collection was pulled around February. I don't recommend looking for it on Satan's Little Online Shop because I've seen prices as high as $55. Midnight Madness is probably on its way to DC land like Nuit de Russie because I picked it up half-price at Target. (I blame Brooke at Getcha Nails Did for this! I saw her off-the-wagon haul and noticed Nicoles on clearance!) As for What's Your Name, you should be able to pick this up at your local Walgreens. $50, $3.30 or $1.99? The choice is yours!

This nail polish is so bright, you gotta wear shades!

2009-05-04T09:03:00.005-05:00

Honestly, I bought Essie Funky Limelight for its kitsch factor. It was never a true lemming of mine because when you hear from one of your favorite blogs that it takes SEVEN coats for opacity, it kind of deflates any kind of lemming. My pictures aren't accurate for if they were, you'd shield your eyes. All were taken indoors with sunlight coming in.

While I also saw it all over the blogosphere, I wasn't particularly tempted to buy it during my double haul at Transdesign and 8ty8 (AKA my temporary lapse of judgement). It was a good day for nail polish (but not my wallet): I picked up 13 total online and 7 in person. My first stop was Trade Secret and there was Funky Limelight in all of it's highlighter yellow glory. Did I say highlighter? Yes, it's HIGHLIGHTER yellow. You can't miss this color in bright light; it's the cause of that throb in your temples.

Siobhan is right: it does take seven thin coats. (Scrangie used four thick coats, for those of you like myself who are spooked by the number seven.) Is it worth it? YES. I freakin' love this color. I can't help it: it's loud, it's crazy, it belongs in WACKYLAND! (As do I, but I digress...) This is a little like Mesmerize: it doesn't belong with the boring sheer pinks that Essie usually sends out with monotonous regularity. It looks a lot like China Glaze Celtic Sun, does anyone own it and can tell me if this is a dupe?

Holy effin' cakes...

2009-05-02T07:16:00.006-05:00

DARK GREEN OPI...THIS FALL!!!

I've said in the past, I'm not a huge fan of green...but lately, I've noticed the green side of my nail cabinet expanding faster than expected. I have an idea...especially for those advanced nail mixologists! How about a GREEN version of the Chanel Moscou polishes? Fine green glitter in black? Talk about a nailgasm!

Hop on over to pssion.se to check out the HAWTNESS!

I'm psyched for the Spain collection, but it still has a lot of "filler" colors (AKA mid-range pink and reds for those "normal" types). And you know what REALLY irks me? A lot of the awesome colors get discontinued, yet these crappy colors stay on! WHAT GIVES?!

I got nostalgic looking at this collection, especially seeing the color Barefoot in Barcelona. While on holiday during my study abroad stint, I traveled with some friends to Barcelona. If New Orleans is my #1 favorite city in the US, Barcelona is my #1 in Europe. It was relatively cheap (especially compared to London!), beautiful and fun! However, the beaches are kinda...lacking. 3 out of the 6 in our group are Florida residents so we were excited to see a beach again, especially after months of dreary English weather. I found out later that the beaches were only developed in the early 1990s for the Olympics and that their sand comes from quarries! Silly us, we were expecting Gulf Coast sugar sand.

NOTD: Milani Totally Cool

2009-04-30T20:42:00.005-05:00

...Wow.

I'm truly stunned.

The only other purple I have that rivals Totally Cool's glittery awesomely awesomeness is Hot Topic's Iridescent Purple. They're not alike; Totally Cool has more of a jelly consistency and gold/pink duochrome glitter while Iridescent Purple has duochrome blue/purple glitter. The first coat is rather streaky but evens out to a semi-sheer (in bright light) finish at three coats.

I went to SEVERAL myriad drugstores before finding it recently at a Kmart. Was it worth the search and wait? YES. This is the best drugstore nail polish color I have ever encountered, hands down. This is not a must-buy, this is a get-in-the-damn-car-NOW-and-pick-this-up-buy!

The Asian Girl would like to take a moment...

2009-04-29T18:14:00.002-05:00

to take a break from nail polish and talk about something serious:

"Swine" flu.

I know the press is inundated with doom and gloom about H1N1 swine influenza. Some people debate that it's overhyped, but I, however, am genuinely concerned about this outbreak. For those of you new to this blog, my degree was in community health education and thought about continuing my masters' in epidemiology. There's always been some "new" disease in the press, be it bird flu, Ebola, West Nile, mad cow, etc. However, I don't think we've seen the likes of swine flu in years (with the exception of HIV/AIDS, the hidden pandemic). The scary part to me is the human-to-human transmission which leads to community-wide outbreaks.

What can you do, as Jane or John Doe?

- While interning, I taught handwashing classes for local kindergarten classes. The same rules apply: wash your hands with soap frequently, especially after sneezing, coughing, working or playing outdoors, before and after eating and preparing food, after using the bathroom, touching public surfaces, and touching animals. Using soap is much more effective than washing with plain water since it prolongs the time taken to wash your hands, which promotes friction that helps alleviate germs.

- Avoid touching your face, eyes and nose. This is a frequent entry for infection.

- When coughing or sneezing, use a tissue and wash your hands afterwards. If a tissue isn't available, don't use your hands but use the crook of your elbow, which reduces your chances of transmitting germs to others.

- Pork is safe to eat, so dig into that pork chop.

I'm holding out hope that this will pass through soon and smoothly. I'm hoping our advanced technology and years of research will help out in these tough times.

Wish you all the best!

The Asian Girl

the NOLA curse lives on...

2009-04-27T20:12:00.009-05:00

On Sunday, I ventured back out west to New Orleans for their Jazz and Heritage Festival (colloquially known as Jazzfest). I saw three bands at the Acura Stage (Kinky, Better Than Ezra and Dave Matthews Band). I was pleasantly surprised by Kinky, a Mexican rock/electronica band I'd never heard of before. Better Than Ezra rocked the house, but damn, DMB brought it down! My friends and I were one row away from the guardrail, not bad for $50 tickets!

I previously mentioned that I have a running streak of bad luck when it comes to nails in NOLA...this was no exception! While sitting and waiting for Better Than Ezra, I looked at my nail and found that it was broken! *facepalm* I just trimmed my nails after a minor break earlier this week. This time, this nail will just have to be shorter than everyone else; something its owner is quite familiar with. Luckily, it was on my right hand AKA my non-swatching hand.

shade

sunlight

My nail color for the weekend is from Chanel's new Celestial Lights collection: Cosmic Violine. It has a milk chocolate base; the overall color reminds me of rum raisin. The red glitter is similar to the Moscou collection's Feu de Russie. Both have the same lit-from-within quality; explosive without being gaudy.

glitter close-up

Feu de Russie

For most people, two coats should suffice; the application and formula rocks! I like my colors very opaque so I opted for three. When I first put it on; I'm not gonna lie, I was disappointed. I have an issue with browns; I feel that milk chocolate shades are too light for my skintone. This is the same reason why I rarely own anything brown: nail polish, clothing, shoes, purses, makeup, etc.; I have to have more of a contrast. I was hoping it was deeper, a la Zoya Kalista. However, the color grew on me during the weekend. It's not an overwhelming favorite, but it's definitely gorgeous. I've perused my collection; I don't have anything like it with the exception of Feu de Russie, a favorite of mine but with a black base.

Does anyone else have any recurring bad luck with nails? I love New Orleans, I just hate the effect on my nails!

Nail vs. Nail: Tiffany Blues

2009-04-24T20:34:00.004-05:00

index, middle and left side of thumb: China Glaze For Audrey
ring, pinky and right side of thumb: Nina Ultra Pro In A Tiff

This picture isn't accurate; I feel that both colors are greener in real life. Even outdoors it has the same problem. For starters, In A Tiff has a subtle silver shimmer while For Audrey is a creme. The shimmer is so subtle that it's difficult to capture in a photograph. Both are absolutely stunning and worth owning.

According to Wikipedia, robin egg blue is trademarked by Tiffany & Co. If you can't have the blue box with a skating rink, own the polish!

Robin's egg blue reminds me of a favorite made-for-TV movie of mine...

MTV's 2Gether.

This movie is an underrated gem. It's a hilarious spot-on satire of the late '90s-early '00s boyband trend. It parodies the "personality types", dance moves, songs, and even the fabricated teen magazine interviews. The video/DVD is very rare along with the TV show that followed. Last time I checked, the full movie is on YouTube and will definitely elicit more than a few chuckles. Why does it remind me of the movie?

There's a bit of a misunderstanding during interviews on which color is each member's favorite ("There can't be any overlap!). This clip has it in full:

If you can't sit through the whole movie, here's their song which includes a few movie clips:

Damn, it kinda makes me miss the boyband days, lol.

It's not easy being purple--I mean, green...

2009-04-22T15:06:00.004-05:00

Happy Earth Day! I totally missed out on all the awesome Earth Day promos thanks to work, but hopefully some of you bagged some freebies! There is one greener promo that's still in progress, and that's Zoya's exchange program! I asked one of Zoya's online customer service representatives when the deal ends, and I was told June 1!!! Take out those hated colors (*cough*Kotori*cough*) from your stash and add some new favorites!

For those of you lacking bottles to trade, scour a discount store, especially shopping outlets. At Bealls Outlet, I found a couple of 4-polish packages 50% off from 1.99! (They were really crappy and old Sally Hansen nail treatments.) Try some thrift shops and even garage sales! I wish I actually had enough gumption to wake up on Saturday mornings to peruse yard sales...I don't get enough sleep during the week as it is, so sleep wins out in this battle.

Here's a couple of suggested colors to trade for: Zoya Malia and Zara.

I still have mixed feelings about Malia...it's a pretty color, but I'm not sure if it's right on my skintone. Zara is already a favorite of mine; I find it unique being light purple with an awesome gold shimmer. I'm not a huge fan of cremes; I guess I really like shiny objects. I wonder if my nail polish addiction is a step above (or below) being distracted by shiny objects.

For those of you who often order online, here's a green tip for you: reuse those packing products! I keep the nail polish boxes for convenient packing and storage. I've even used a Zoya box with the packing peanuts for shipping a gift to a friend!

For more green tips, check out this new blog, Polish Our Planet! I got some great packing tips for my next Zoya exchange from Polish EarthGirl so go take a look!

FINALLY!!!

2009-04-21T21:34:00.003-05:00

I definitely got an awesome haul on Monday...right when I gave up hope on Dollar Tree, it finally came through for me and I was met with a plethora of LA Colors Art Deco nail art polishes! I picked up 7 colors I didn't have--I already own white, gold glitter and black. I wandered into an ethnic independent beauty supply near the Oriental store I picked up some mangoes, then found some different nail polish brands...I found this iridescent glitter coral/pink from a brand called "Wild and Crazy" which had the Sinful Colors website on the label and a pastel yellow from a brand named "Tea Nail Hardener".

I also stopped by a thrift store after the beauty supply...I came out like a bandit! I picked up 10 Calvin & Hobbes treasury books for 69 cents each! I couldn't believe my ears when the cashier told me so!

I made an order at OC Nail Art Saturday night and it arrived Monday afternoon! Talk about quick service! Check it out; if you use the promo codes casuallavish or polishpixie, you'll receive 20% off and free shipping is included with orders over $20! That's an awesome deal! I now have Konad plates m60, m64, m65 and m73.

Some things headed toward your way this week: the return of Nail vs. Nail (sparkling whites and a certain blue jewelry box), more Konad and awesome purples! Maybe this time my camera won't take all weekend to load up my pictures...

OPI DS Dazzle + Konad + Nail Art

2009-04-18T10:50:00.007-05:00

Wow, The Asian Girl, delving deeper into Konad AND nail art?! Say it isn't so!

I'm so psyched about my recent breakthroughs with Konad that I ordered four more plates from OC Nail Art! Casual Lavish has paired up with them for a phenomenal deal; 20% off your purchase plus free shipping for orders over $20! Four plates cost me 22 bucks and some change with the discount; not bad at all!

I used plate m57 and OPI DS Fantasy. OPI DS Fantasy is one of my Konad favorites; it looks spectacular when used over dark colors. DS Dazzle's all-out flamboyance takes away from Fantasy's subtle charms; it glitters over Zoya Kalista:

I didn't think this was enough, so I busted out my silver Stripe Rite from Sally:

I'm so excited to finally get my nail art groove back! I'm even more pumped for my upcoming packages!

Hi, I'm the Asian Girl, and I'm a SMRT* Award winner!

2009-04-17T22:04:00.004-05:00

*The SMRT Award is a personal joke between my baby sister, her best friend Evil and myself. When someone does something that is obviously, well, stupid, we usually retort with "SMRT!" We pronounce it "smurt"; it rhymes with "Smurf".

Why am I worthy of a SMRT Award?

I've been having difficulties with ordering through Head2Toe using my debit card. My card kept being declined despite it having more than enough to cover the cost. 2 weeks ago, I called their customer service up, trying to see what the trouble was, but it was too late in the day to get anyone on the phone. Fast-forward to today and I had the same trouble. Finally, I used my credit card in vain, which was also declined. I then noticed what my problem was: My debit card's CVC number was worn down, so I was using the three digits BEFORE it. Thanks to this problem, I missed out on Essie Greenport, Color Club Revvvolution and Orly Mint Mojito. DRAT!

Oh, well. Of the three, I'm only really disappointed with not getting Revvvolution. I wasn't absolutely crazy about Greenport and I already have MAC Peppermint Patti. Prior to figuring out the card problem, I already began my next Zoya exchange haul as well, so I think I might be okay after all.

My NOTD is an oddball of the OPI Designer Series family. The now-discontinued Dazzle is stunning pink glitter jelly. I call it an oddball because unlike the other DS polishes I own, there are no holographic features. It's pretty and sparkly, but I don't think it's worth the DS price or the ridiculously-gouged prices it probably commands on eBay. It's similar to Zoya Lindsay, which is more of a true jelly than Dazzle. If you've got a lemming for this, Zoya Lindsay isn't an exact dupe but is much more affordable and is attractive in its own right. I bought my bottle used at a nail salon for a crazy bargain price.

Finally, I'd like to thank all of you who showed concern for my health! You guys rock! I'm finally feeling better thanks to a cocktail of sinus and allergy meds. Watch out for those sinus meds though, I had to go home early from work because the sinus meds practically knocked me out.

...On sick leave :(

2009-04-16T19:56:00.002-05:00

Hey readers!

I'm battling a bug known as Florida pollen. Not only do I work at a golf course, I've been exercising outdoors as well, which led to a deluge of that dastardly pollen. My allergies are kicking into overdrive along with minor pains and aches that follow the first workout after months of sitting on my butt with my nail polish. I've got plenty of pics (even Konad!) to follow up with, so stay tuned! I'm gonna kick pollen's butt with a cocktail of allergy meds, just you watch!

Love,

The Asian Girl

An Easter miracle...

2009-04-13T13:11:00.006-05:00

Note: This was supposed to come out on Easter Sunday, but I had major camera problems that weren't resolved until this morning. I think it may be time for an upgrade...

While people may grumble about the commercialization of holidays in general, especially Christmas, I like the message of Easter. No matter what religion (or lack of) you subscribe to, I feel like everyone can relate to new beginnings and second chances. Today, I got out early from work, I got to attend Easter Mass AND I had my first fast food meal (McD's double cheeseburger meal with some chicken nuggets, what!) in 40 days...things couldn't get any better!

I finally made peace with my Konad. I tried Brooke's tip which suggested using an old credit card instead of the tradition Konad scraper. FINALLY, I had crisp Konad transfers!

It gives me great pleasure to say this: Konad and I are going to be okay.

The base color is Nina Ultra Pro In A Tiff. I am VERY impressed by this color. Unlike China Glaze's For Audrey (visual comparison to follow in a future post!), In A Tiff exhibits a very subtle white shimmer. While For Audrey requires three coats due to streaks, In A Tiff is opaque in TWO COATS! After my fiasco with the Claire's pastels, I'm still a little wary of pastels, so I was excited to see In A Tiff's application.

I used Konad plate m57 and China Glaze Awaken for the animal print. A couple of my nails were a bit imperfect, so I used China Glaze Wireless Holographic top coat to help deflect from the ragged edges from my Konad stamping. I found that this reminded me of a Victoria's Secret bra of mine...

Easter Sunny Side Up

2009-04-11T10:56:00.006-05:00

I will readily admit, I am nail art challenged. On the other hand, I wanted to take the Easter route of nail art but not delve into the traditional "Easter eggs" or pastels. Don't get me wrong, I love me some pastels, but I wanted to offer you readers out there my take on a holiday otherwise filled with chocolate and bunnies.

Thus I present to you, Easter Eggs Sunny Side Up:

5 mornings out of the week, I am surrounded by eggs. While I cook eggs most mornings, my dad can still kick my butt with a perfect sunny-side up egg. The base color is 3 coats of Essie Marshmallow and the yolk is a dab of Essie Shorty Pants. I added one more coat of Marshmallow over the nail to mimic the light basting of oil over the sunny side of the egg.

Thanks to this post, I've given myself a craving for (real) sunny side up eggs. Have a happy Easter!

Recent drugstore finds...

2009-04-09T20:03:00.000-05:00

Back in February, I pondered if anyone else remembered the mid-1990s trend of scented nail polish. Well, guess what, it's back! Back then, the trend was mimicking popular scents such as Tommy Girl and CK One. Revlon's new line, Fruitful Temptations, has brought the scented polish back to life! I picked up Not So Blue-Berry, a light blurple duochrome jam-packed with silver shimmer. If I were to pick by smell, I would've picked another but I prefer a unique color to smell.

The smell? Well, it smells...like berry, I guess. Kind of how a berry-flavored cereal kind of tastes like berries...but not really. Obviously its a lab-created scent, so a realistic smell isn't the real goal here. It's rather pleasant, yet kind of strong.

...Until you eat. That's the kicker for me. After taking these pictures, I decided to stop by a gas station for some Cajun boiled peanuts. Never had boiled peanuts? Well, let me tell you about these awesome briny gems from the Deep South...it doesn't taste like those peanuts you get in a can. They're mushier and salty, if done right. I buy a 32 oz. cup from a local gas station that is HEAVILY spiced with red chile pepper flakes. It's not for the faint of heart. However, after I popped open the shell then went to eat those delicious goobers...something wasn't right. I didn't get my usual earthy/spicy aroma, I smelled...fake blueberries. :X ...Weeeird.

The day I bought the polish, I swatched it on a plastic nail tip and left it on my desk. My baby sister later asked me to accompany her to the grocery store to satisfy her sudden craving for Trix cereal. I told her about the new polish and she exclaimed, "THAT'S WHAT I SMELLED! I smelled something that reminded me of Trix and I HAD TO HAVE IT NOW!"

I also picked up two other polishes, Sinful Colors' Purple Diamond and Glass Pink. These were my first Sinful Colors purchases and I was pretty impressed with them. Since both of the ones I picked up are relatively sheer, I need to pick up other colors to accurately judge the brand, but I've heard great things from you readers and fellow bloggers out there :) Both have a similar silver shimmer/microglitter finish like Not So Blue-Berry. I picked Glass Pink because it bears similarity to Nicole by OPI's Dream Maker. I don't know about y'all, but I'm not down with paying $6.99 for a drugstore brand. I've dropped some serious cash for Chanel (with a few disastrous results), but I just can't stomach that for Nicole by OPI. I get annoyed by the fact that Sally Hansen is getting real uppity with their prices!

Speaking of Sally Hansen, I bought one of their nail art pens as well. I finally tracked down the white pen the same time I picked up all the other colors. It is shown as a French tip under Sinful Colors Glass Pink. I used it for a quickie French manicure today, but the wear sucked. Granted, I applied the nail art pen without a base coat and only used one coat of OPI Nail Envy over it. (I've been suffering from a horrible case of nail procrastination.)

I had the worst luck with nail products today! Not only did I spill nail polish (China Glaze DV8 and White-Kwik-Silvr), I also spilled a copious amount of nail polish remover! Luckily it was just a cheap side table, but UGH! Not to mention, thanks to these spills, I completely ruined my manicure. After redoing this certain mani TWICE, I decided to switch to Lancome Midnight Glam and China Glaze Rated Holographic.

I found Lancome Midnight Glam at TJ Maxx for $7.99 this weekend. It reminds me of Chanel Blue Satin, but a little more blurple. I don't own Blue Satin, but I kind of wish I did now; it would be better than the US Vamp I DID pick up instead the day I planned on buying it. It reminds me of a darker OPI Russian Navy, which it looks like in the bottle. However, on the nail, Midnight Glam has less purple than Russian Navy. China Glaze Rated Holographic was picked up at a nail salon. Rated Holographic is part of the sadly discontinued Kaleidoscope collection. If you love holo and don't have any Kaleidoscopes, get one NOW! While I'm not a big fan of Rated Holographic's shade of pink, the crazy glittery holographic goodness makes up for it. I found this gem at a nail salon. While most of the other colors I bought were used, this baby was not!

Next up, if my Konad skills willing: Easter nail art! I have a feeling I may have jinxed myself already...

Kreative Blogger Award

2009-04-08T15:02:00.004-05:00

I'm REALLY late to the party with this, and I apologize to Colette who nominated me for this award!

7 Things That I Love:

Well, just let me preface that the big three (God, fam and friends) are not included in this list. I STILL LOVE 'EM!

1 - Well, obviously, nail polish! Addicted since February 2007 :)
2 - Peanuts--I've covered this on my post about MAC Peppermint Patti.
3 - The beach--during beautiful days at the beach, my friend, a Michigan transplant, will say in response, "We LIVE here!"
4 - Food--I love it, the end.
5 - I know this goes with food, but I can't get enough of cajun boiled peanuts. Not just any boiled peanuts, but from a nearby gas station that gives them plenty of spice. I write this because I plan on buying some in a few minutes.
6 - Reading--I have so many books that I've run out of bookcase space. Next to a colossal mess and nail polish, books are the most prominent things in my room.
7 - Sunshine--Rainy/cloudy days just put me in a shitty mood. You know that Carpenters' song? Yeah, rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

7 Random Blogs That I Love (but there's more on the left!):

1 - My Simple Little Pleasures
2 - Nail Juice
3 - Getcha Nails Did
4 - The Great Lacquer Hunt
5 - Decorative Diva
6 - Bring On The Bling
7 - Dr. Frankenpolish

MY FIRST FRANKEN!

2009-04-07T17:36:00.005-05:00

I was inspired by Amanda at Dr. Frankenpolish's NARS Zulu franken. For those of you new to nail polish, Zulu is an outrageously hard-to-find polish that can go for over $80 on eBay (if it can even be FOUND on eBay to begin with). It is an exquisite dark green jelly; not $80 exquisite, but definitely a looker. While there are other colors that I vow to own one day, I know it is highly unlikely that I will ever own a bottle of Zulu unless the impossible happens and NARS re-releases it. I've long come to terms with it. Amanda's franken is amazing; the base of her version looks a lot brighter than mine. Mine turned out to be more forest green and opaque, as seen here:

I'd like to apologize for the RIDICULOUS bubbling. Yesterday while at a local thrift store, I found some serious deals. I think one of their regular donors must be a either a salon owner or a supply dealer, because I found a big cardboard box that also contained smaller cardboard boxes with 6 half-empty (or half-full?) bottles of Poshe. I don't think they were previously used (yuck!) but really old (the bottle doesn't look like the current one). I bought a box of 6 for 89 cents! Not 89 cents EACH, but 89 cents for all 6! INSANE! I bought a bottle of nail polish thinner at Sally and thinned them all out to perfection :) However, prior to the thinner, I attempted to use the bottle as-is which led to bubbles. I also picked up two 200-count boxes of nail tips for swatching purposes, which helped out tremendously with frankening.

While it is not the exact Zulu, I really like it. I kinda made a huge batch so I might tinker with some of it a little bit more since I have acquired yet another bottle of Hard Candy Trailer Trash. I bought another bottle because it had the matching jelly ring; something my original bottle lacked. Now that I've dipped my toes into the frankening process, I wonder what else I can make...

Will be back tomorrow!

2009-04-06T21:39:00.002-05:00

Despite the lack of posts, nail polish has not been far from my mind. I've got some great goodies coming up: my first frankenpolish, the return of scented nail polish, extraordinarily cheap finds and a few great dusties! Have no fear, The Asian Girl is here! :)

2007-2008 Top 20: #1 Chanel Kaleidoscope

2009-04-03T14:40:00.003-05:00

First off, I'd like to apologize for the lack of posts lately; I'd like to blame the crazy amount of rain that has drenched the Southeast US but also extreme procrastination. On to the nail polish!

Drumroll, please...

If I ever had to pick only one color of my nail polish collection to keep, this is it.

I can't really describe in words how much I *love* Chanel Kaleidoscope. It changes from silver to a greenish-pewter and the finish morphs from a burnished metal to sparkles in different lighting. This IS worth the Chanel price. The Polish Addict has great alternatives to Kaleidoscope for those like me who can't bite the eBay bullet. This color means so much to me that I might be willing to get a backup bottle before the price gouging goes out of control. The closest alternative I've seen is Black Radiance Bold & Sexy Sensual (pictures coming soon!). Sensual's color is more silver than pewter/platinum, but has the glittering, gorgeous finish of Kaleidoscope. And if you can track down Black Radiance at your local retailer, it's only $3.99!

When I get into a nail polish slump (which I have been in recently :X), I reach for Kaleidoscope and it reminds me why I started loving nail polish to begin with. It's my instant pick-me-up :)

2007-2008 Top 20: #3 OPI DS Extravagance & #2 Chanel Rouge Noir

2009-03-29T23:32:00.004-05:00

#3: OPI Designer Series Extravagance

I never had such a knee-jerk reaction with any polish like Extravagance. The moment I saw it on Scrangie's site, I HAD to have it! This was my first DS buy and still remains my favorite of the five I own. It's a gorgeous dark magenta; my picture does not completely capture how spectacular it is. If you have to pony up money for a color, THIS is worth it for both the color and the application. You won't be disappointed!

#2: Chanel Rouge Noir

For all you price-conscious nail fanatics out there: No, it's not worth the price. There are a lot of cheaper and comparable vampies (Essie Wicked, Zoya Casey, and Revlon Vixen just to name a few). However, I sought out this color like hell. I first wanted it for a friend's wedding but failed to realize that US Vamp was not the same as the 1994 Vamp I remembered. (I don't know why I remembered the 1994 Vamp; I was nine years old! I probably read too much Cosmo at that age.) I ended up with a major FAIL of a color. I didn't want to pony up for the EU Rouge Noir, but I was elated when I heard that the 2008 Holiday gift set included Rouge Noir. Unfortunately, it came at a premium: $57 for the set. It contained three colors, so I thought of it as a "discount" for three Chanel polishes. This color screams sexy; but classy sexy. Considering the hoops I jumped through to obtain it, it ranks at #2.

My addiction is cramping my style.

2009-03-29T23:24:00.000-05:00

*sighs*

I remember the days when all it took to house my nail polish collection was a large ceramic bowl. Those days are over.

My collection and other nail accoutrements took up an astounding seven (yes, SEVEN) 6-quart Sterilite boxes and 2 OPI train cases. While I have a rather large bedroom, this was not working out. While out shopping, I keep my eyes peeled for alternative nail polish housing. I've came close a couple times while at thrift stores with spice racks, but I realize that it would take something of epic proportions to keep up with my ever-growing collection. What I found ended up being right under my nose.

This cabinet once housed video cassette tapes...remember those? You know, the big clunky things before DVD? *sarcasm*

If I become more handy, I think I might add a couple more shelves to the cabinet. It seems like it can house much more than it currently does.

I couldn't stand having so many storage boxes strewn all over my room and taking over a desk. Do you have any unique ways of storing your polish?

Nail Inspiration: MWCILTRMND

2009-03-27T23:31:00.003-05:00

Nixxy of Nixxy's Nails inspired me to create this post: Men Whose Chests I'd Like To Run My Nails Down!

I think it's original and hilarious. A personal question to other nail fanatics: have you given (intentionally or unintentionally) your significant other/boyfriend/husband/fun buddy nail-related injuries? A back that would be better suited as your cat's scratching post, or maybe even injuries too hilarious/embarrassing for the internet? I will say this though: Acrylics are less apt to these injuries than natural nails. Natural nail scratches tend to make post-fun showers, well, uncomfortable.

On to the mens!

My first MWCILTRMND, Ryan Phillippe, is the star of one of my favorite movies, Cruel Intentions. Sadly enough, I can quote this movie by memory. I was a little upset after hearing he and Reese Witherspoon got divorced, but I will leave it at that.

I know now he's developed into a serious actor, but damn, teen idol or not, he's definitely eye candy. *fans self down*

Keeping things nail-related, Sarah Michelle Gellar's nails in the movie caught my eye. Her dark red nails definitely fit the image of her devious yet classy and sexy character, Kathryn. The color reminds me of Chanel's Tulipe Noire, an LE from Fall 2007.

While Tulipe Noire is a pretty color, it's not worth the Chanel price. There are cheaper (and easier to obtain) dupes out there; it's not very unique.

Hot guys and nail polish...does it get any better than this? ...Unless we're talking gourmet meals cooked by such men AND nail polish, not really :)

Konadicurist-In-Training

2009-03-24T09:03:00.004-05:00

Shortly after Christmas, The Polish Addict posted about Gold Fiction, everyone's favorite overpriced polish from Chanel's Fall 2008 line. (Who am I kidding? I dropped 90 bucks the moment I saw that the Moscou collection was available online. *headdesk*) What struck me about the post wasn't the beautiful, shimmery golden goodness, but the back story of how she attained it.

"...But on Christmas Eve, my Mother came home with a little tiny box, inside was Chanel Gold Fiction. It was so incredibly thoughtful of her for so many reasons. First and foremost, it's something that I wouldn't buy for myself and I only told her about it in passing."

This Christmas, something similar happened to me.

Unexpectedly, a male friend texted me out of the blue to let me know that he got a "little something" for me as a Christmas gift and thought that I would really like it. Nervously, I went to his place with BFF1 and he handed me a small gift-wrapped box. Considering that I was also recently and briefly involved with him, I worried that it may be something, well, inappropriate. (In retort to that speculation, he dryly commented, "It would've been in a much bigger box." …Smartass.) I opened the box and gasped…it was a Konad kit! Not only was it a Konad kit, he picked two of the plates I would've chosen: m57 and m63. He was very aware of my nail polish addiction and has heard plenty about it, but I had only briefly mentioned Konad. While I was interested in it, I never thought I would actually own and use Konad. It was definitely one of the best Christmas presents I received this year, next to the Coach sunglasses my baby sister got me.

Coach Sofia sunglasses...not quite as cool as Konad, but close.

Base color: Chanel Or De Russie
Konad color: Chanel Kaleidoscope
Konad plate m57

Base color: Chanel Vendetta
Konad color: China Glaze OMG
Konad plate m63

Even though Christmas has long come and gone, I leave you with the best Christmas special dialogue:

Lucy: I know how you feel about all this Christmas business; getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that.
Charlie Brown: What is it that you want?
Lucy: Real estate.

look what the Easter Beagle dragged in...

2009-03-23T22:38:00.006-05:00

Ahh...spring.

Spring is the time of renewal after the cold of winter. Spring is the time for bunnies. Spring is the time for reproducing like bunnies. Spring is the time that you start cursing or praising the government. (CURSE YOU, TAXMAN!!!) There is also another thing that people either curse or praise spring: pastel colors.

*all groan in unison*

I might be in the minority when I say this: I love pastels. I have a thing for subtle colors, especially baby blue and baby pink. So when I went to Claire's at the mall, I was excited to see some adorable pastel shimmers.

Unfortunately, they turned out to be full-on Monets.

There is only one other color besides these have I had a nightmare of streaky application: Chanel Allegoria. MAC Peppermint Patti was pretty bad too, but not anywhere near the level of Allegoria or these three. These are all four-coaters with no base coat.

Blue For You

Mint For You

You Are My Sunshine

Maybe I'll try again soon; they're like little kids: unruly yet adorable. I tried MAC Peppermint Patti again; it worked much better with Barielle Camouflage. Speaking of application issues, has anyone had major bubbling issues with Misa Happy Happy? I cannot seem to apply it without bubbles and this is without any kind of shaking prior to application. In frustration, I bought a discounted bottle of Essie Shorty Pants.

Speaking of spring, for those of you unfamiliar, I live in Florida. Beach season is in full swing! Misa Happy Happy and Essie Shorty Pants both match my new Victoria's Secret bikini. Does anyone else coordinate their manicure with their bathing suits? I'd definitely like to hear about it!

A Blockhead's Breathmint

2009-03-21T01:29:00.006-05:00

While I have a nail polish collection that is slowly (but surely) taking over my bedroom, there is another interest of mine that takes up even more space.

(If you're just looking for the nail polish, fast-forward toward the bottom. This'll take a while.)

I am a Peanuts fanatic. One bookshelf is exclusively Peanuts strip collections; the top of another contains stuffed Snoopys with many Peanuts-related ceramics. This does not include the many other trinkets hidden in storage boxes underneath my bed.

Ever since I could remember, I loved the comic strip. My childhood stuffed animal was a Christmas Snoopy that my mother bought at a garage sale. Snoopy has since lost the hat and even accompanied me during my study abroad stint in the UK. BFF1 has gotten me a Snoopy figurine every Christmas for well, a while. I recently finished the extremely long biography Schulz and Peanuts. While the book has courted its fair share of controversy due to the Schulz family's objections to the portrayal of Charles Schulz, it definitely gave me a new look at the strip. Pretty much, my happy childhood memories of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and friends contrast with the cold, biting humor the strip thrived on.

Earlier today, I received the script of Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead that I ordered online. The play is a parody of Peanuts; the characters are now teenagers with Charlie Brown coping with the recent death of Snoopy. This play is the best thing I have read in a long time; I hope I will get to see it on stage in the future. While it is a drama, it is hysterically funny, lampooning childhood icons as modern-day teens. However, like modern-day teens and Peanuts itself, there is an underlying tone of exclusion and discrimination. I don't want to spoil the ending, but it can be described with one word: powerful.

Now on to nail polish...

According to the internet grapevine, MAC's nail polishes from the Sugarsweet collection are sold out online. Thanks to extreme luck, after reading Dog Sees God by the pool, I scooped up Peppermint Patti at my local MAC counter. I also spotted Chanel's summer collection at the mall and continued to be unimpressed by their nail polishes this season. Besides, who wants boring peach or bronze when you can get MINT GREEN! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I've converted to green. This might be number one so far for 2009; it's too early to tell.

In honor of its namesake, I tried to illustrate the "mint" adjective. I apologize for the sloppy application; it was an idea I wanted to try out as soon as possible before I forget. (ADHD tendencies: they're a bitch.)

There is a major drawback to Peppermint Patti: the application is a huge pain. S-T-R-E-A-K-Y. This is without base coat; I'll experiment later with Barielle Camouflage. I've been having trouble with lighter colors and streakiness; I'll discuss this in the next blog thanks to a bunch of adorable Claire's colors I picked up earlier this week.

Continuing on with the Peanuts theme, I find it ironic that of all the strip's female characters, it's the tomboy who shares a (okay, modified) name with a nail polish. But she's often seen wearing green; I think she'd approve :)

Lalalalalala...lalalalala

2009-03-19T21:54:00.002-05:00

While looking at my new bottle of Essie Mesmerize, I had a startling revelation:

Mesmerize is SMURF BLUE!

I have read descriptions of "Superman blue"--

Tim Tebow: HATE the Gators, would love to do him. *hangs head in shame*

--and Mesmerize has a muted old-school comic book quality. Essie's white bottle cap makes it look more Smurf-like to me. I constantly restrain urges to give it a little blonde wig and call it Smurfette.

2007-2008 Top 20: #10-#5 Vignettes

2009-03-17T00:48:00.010-05:00

#10: Chanel Vendetta

Dark purple? As a SPRING color?! There was definitely progress in the nail world. There are a few close relatives to Vendetta for those seeking cheaper alternatives (i.e., Finger Paints Black Gumdrop and China Glaze Midnight Ride), but Vendetta has a true purple base.

#9: Zoya Zara

I loved the Zoya Flourish collection. It was unique yet winter-appropriate. Zara was my favorite of the collection with its icy grape Easter egg shade. The gold shimmer makes it stand out.

#8: OPI Hollywood Blonde

Hollywood Blonde is my favorite sheer. I was astounded when I first applied it; I was impressed by the incredible glitter flecks in the sunlight. In pictures the glitter flecks are muted, unfortunately. This reminds me of the infamous dress Marilyn Monroe wore while singing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President”.

#7: OPI Midnight In Moscow

This color came out right in the middle of my vampy craze. I owned Sally Hansen Lacquer Shine Glossy; a very similar blackened red shade. However, Glossy was a pain to apply; the brush was hard to control and the formula thick and goopy. While MIM has the dreaded Pro-Wide brush, it was definitely more user-friendly than Glossy. I love the deep shade; it reminds me of lacquered Asian wood.

#6: OPI Black Cherry Chutney

While OPI was the first nail polish brand I cherished, I don’t understand the inconsistency of their collections. I loved the deep shades and vibrancy of the Russia/Fall 2007 and the India/Spring 2008 collections, but then they followed up with the blah and boring France/Fall 2008 and South Beach/Spring 2009 collections. I’m not a fan of the mushroom-y colors a la You Don’t Know Jacques!. Black Cherry Chutney was another color deeply ingrained in my original vampy craze. I liked it better than MIM due to the fact that it did not have a black base.

#5: Misa Candy Girl

I would like to give major props to Misa, Scrangie and the Polish Addict for the awesome December/January promo. I picked up 8 colors; 5 of which were from the Sugar Sugar collection. I was bowled over by the Polish Addict’s amazing pictures, especially of the toppings over black nail polish. While I also liked the base colors, I was intrigued by the sheer colors over black. This novel concept was a revelation to me; I finally had a reason to own sheers!

For New Years Eve 2009, I wanted something flashy but unique. I already wore a showy Vendetta/OMG Konadicure for Christmas and had trouble deciding between the Moscou colors. Instead, I applied Zoya Raven and layered Candy Girl over it; just as I had seen on the Polish Addict. My pictures don’t quite capture how breathtaking this effect is.

Happy St. Patrick's Eve!

2009-03-16T22:55:00.005-05:00

While I enjoy imbibing alcoholic beverages, inhaling boxtys (fried potato dumplings from heaven) and frequenting pubs, I'm not big on St. Patrick's Day.

Despite the fact that it is considered an Irish holiday, I almost find my lack of celebration to be un-American. I don't really drink beer (especially ill-looking green carbonated water) and I'm frequently pinched every March 17.

But this year, it'll be different!

Lo, and behold, readers: GREEN!

The base is China Glaze's Gussied Up Green, a blackened forest green. The half-moon is LA Colors Art Deco nail art pens in gold and the sheer green overlay is Hard Candy Tantrum. My nails feel like they belong in South Bend.

A quick note: I recently scooped up CHI and Hard Candy nail polishes at TJ Maxx, so hopefully you frequent bargain shoppers like myself can get yourself some decent hauls :) Also, my favorite Sterilite 6 qt. storage boxes are on sale at Target; 2 for $3! Now all I need is storage space!

EDIT: I just remembered; I also saw a Barielle Shades French mani set at TJ Maxx too. It looks pretty good; I might pick it up at a later time.

"You like me! You really like me!"

2009-03-13T14:25:00.003-05:00

I'd like to thank Nixxy and Brooke for nominating me, thanks a billion! <3

Here are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which you think are fabulous.
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

1. Scrangie
2. The Polish Addict
3. e-polishblog
4. Vampy Varnish
5. Nail Juice
6. Nixxy's Nails
7. Getcha Nails Did
8. Clumps of Mascara
9. Polish Pixie
10. Make It Colorful
11. Decorative Diva
12. Contests and Such...
13. Dr. Frankenpolish
14. The Nailphile

Blog stalking...sort of.

2009-03-11T21:37:00.005-05:00

I just did my rounds and saw updates on new collections:

Michelle at All Lacquered Up has photos of Chanel's Summer 2009 shades, Orange Fizz and Golden Sand. *yawns* With so many great winter shades (i.e., Nuit de Russie and Vendetta), this was kind of a letdown. I will definitely take a second look once I see swatches, but Golden Sand reminds me of last summer's Antilope. I loved up Antilope; it's one of my few half-empty (or half-full, depending on your attitude :P) bottles.

Scrangie and Siobhan at the Nailphile have revealed that those super badass green/yellow Essies aren't real :( I'm still excited for the North Folk collection, but damn, I was really pulling for those other colors. I'm not even a green kind of girl!

There's another awesome free Essie giveaway! I don't know about y'all, but I love me some free nail polish, no matter what color (well, baby poo brown wouldn't be cool, but I'd still take it). Check out Nessa's Contests and Such, she has a link to Glamour's 70th anniversary Essie giveaway. It's for the first 5000 applicants, so I'm not sure if it's still open.

I remember last fall when Pama had a Essie giveaway. I started to see it pop up in the blogs, then started to lose hope of getting my own bottle. About 2 weeks later, I had my own bottle! Pama was my first red creme; while not unique, it is definitely pretty. While Glamour's color looks like another sheer pink, I'm just holding out hope that it's not streaky.

All beached out...

2009-03-10T22:06:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a weekend. (I work Wednesdays-Sundays; Mondays and Tuesdays are my "weekend".) It was one of my best friends' birthdays, so I spent most of the weekend hanging out with her, mostly at the beach.

The first color is Barielle Shades' Sneak A Peek. Sneak A Peek is from Barielle's Fall/Winter collection; a better known shade is Date Night, a deep forest green. I am admittedly, not a gigantic green fan so I passed. Another color I considered is Hidden Hideaway, which I found too close to Zoya Yasmeen (but I will probably buy it anyway in due time). I think it's an underrated color; it's a light silvery dove gray. Please excuse the bubbles; I was SMRT enough to attempt a manicure while at the beach. I don't know why I even tried while out at the beach; especially since my local beach is known for a lot of Gulf winds. I've also tried attempting a mani while sitting by the pool; wow, what a thick, goopy mess! I still feel obligated to apologize to my bottles of China Glaze Lubu Heels and OPI Lincoln Park At Midnight for that faux pas.

The same night, I stopped by a Bealls Outlet near the beach and scored an awesome haul. They sometimes have vinyl grab bags full of 10 random polishes (usually pink/red Maybellines). However, this time I found one full of L'Oreals, half of which definitely piqued my interest. They included Blue Metal, a dark blue that I think resembles OPI's Yoga-ta Get This Blue; B. Outrageous, a yellow shimmer; Treble & Tint, a coral duochrome with a green shimmer; then my favorites: B. Innocent, a Bijou Facets sheer full of tiny thread (!!!) teal confetti glitter and Crushed Opal, a sheer with *gasp* FLAKIES!!! I don't own any Nfu-Ohs (...yet), so I was elated to see this jewel! The bag was $6.99; I'll end up using the other 5 boring nudes/reds for future frankening endeavors.

L'Oreal Jet-Set Shine Crushed Opal over L'Oreal Wear Extraordinaire Blue Metal

I'm ashamed to describe my current nail state...I've had on the same manicure for a record 4 days. I've been bouncing from place to place and last night was my first night in my own bed in 3 days. On top of that, beach sand is BRUTAL on nail polish! I have to work early tomorrow morning, so I'm not even sure I'll get to fixing this chipped mess not even worthy to call a manicure tonight.

I'm also considering a serious low-buy/no-buy for the rest of March. It's only March, but I've already more than doubled my 2008 total. On top of the grab bag, I finally caved into OPI's French collection and bought Eiffel For This Color. My current lemming is Barielle Shades Swizzle Stix, which I haven't seen locally. Also, have y'all seen Scrangie's latest posts? Essie has released some promo pics of what might be their summer collection: greens, blues, and yellow! I am totally stoked; if this turns out to be true, I will probably order my first full Essie collection. I hope it is; I'm sick of pinks and reds! PLEASE, ESSIE, PLEASE LET IT BE TRUE!!!

Short Shorts update...

2009-03-05T21:58:00.004-06:00

I previously commented that I would add a picture of Essie Short Shorts in sunlight, and here it is:

Blah...still not accurate! I seem to have trouble capturing neon pinks and (true) purples accurately! I don't know if it's due to my Sony Cyber-shot; maybe I need to get a new camera, which won't be an option for some time. Short Shorts is a lot louder and more "pink" in real life; I feel like the pictures mute the neon quality of it. I went to CVS today and found that Milani Electric Pink seems to be a close dupe of it. Since Short Shorts is now discontinued, it is an easier alternative to find.

Also at CVS, I finally found Barielle Shades! Unfortunately, they only had their last collection, not Sugar Sugar as I was longing for. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get a picture of Sneak A Peek, a pearly (very) light dove gray color. Wishing you all a great day :)

2007-2008 Top 20: #4 Jessica Cabernet Creme

2009-03-04T20:45:00.006-06:00

Yes, I've completely skipped #10-#5. I'll get back to them later.

Jessica Cabernet Creme is a color very near and dear to my heart. For most nail polish addicts, at first glance, Cabernet Creme is nothing special; a run-of-the-mill wine shimmer. However, for me, Cabernet Creme is an intergral part of why I'm here in the first place.

I don't remember when or why I bought it to begin with. Most likely it was just another Target impulse buy (I'm notorious for those). Strangely enough, it came along with me when I studied abroad in England.

I was never really into nail polish in the past. As I stated here, I was lifelong nail biter and admitted acrylic addict. Every two weeks for almost 3 years, I would come back to my hometown manicurist* and get a fill (or backfill). While in England, my nails grew to lengths I'd never achieved in the past. On the regular, I would wear Cabernet Creme anytime, anywhere.

(That and it was way to expensive at the time to contemplate alternatives.) I still had pangs for acrylics, but that was quickly squashed after a quick stop at the nail salon across from the uni. A full set was at a minimum, 35 pounds. (70 bucks?! That's about 15-17 pints of Strongbow, depending which pub you went to. We know which won out.)

Sadly enough, my beloved bottle broke during the trip back to the States. I eventually caved in 6 months later and ordered it online. I was a little miffed when Target restocked Jessica nail polish a month later; it would've saved me 5 bucks on shipping.

Have I worn it lately? Honestly, no. But I'll never forget my first...

*If you like pink-and-white manicures and reside in the Pensacola area, I recommend Trang at My Nails II in Milton. Yeah, it's a drive but she is the only person I trust with pink-and-white in the area. Everyone else has managed to screw it up on me.

NOTD: MAC On The Prowl

2009-03-03T20:25:00.003-06:00

I had a bit of buyer's remorse when I received my MAC Hello Kitty nail lacquers, Something About Pink and On The Prowl. Something About Pink was well...pink. It was similar to NYC Nail Glossies 235, but in a smaller Hello Kitty bottle.

I usually don't swatch a hand right away when I get new bottles. I usually end up buying in bulk (21 bottles is my record, but I have a feeling that this will be broken sooner or later this year) so I normally don't have the time to swatch each color, so I usually "skittle" my nails. "Skittling" usually gets me funny looks at work.

I originally wanted to use On The Prowl alone, but lately I've been having application issues (*looks at the poor Hello Kitty bottle* it's me, not you.) so I used OPI Paris Couture For Sure over 2 uneven coats of On The Prowl. I really like the effect; it makes me think of snowflakes on concrete. (If that sounds weird, I apologize; I'm a Florida girl.)

On other nail news, I'm thinking about creating my own light box. I found some DIY instructions here; I think it seems easy enough. I usually end up swatching at night, so I wanted a way to capture colors more accurately, especially neon/creme pinks and purples. Almost all of the pictures of neon/creme pinks I have taken indoors are pretty inaccurate. Do any of you own your own light box? Hit me up.

GREAT NEWS!

2009-03-02T21:02:00.013-06:00

Zoya is extending their awesome nail polish exchange until April 28!

*does the Happy Dance*

Several fellow nail bloggers (Scrangie, The Polish Addict, Clumps of Mascara, VampyVarnish, All Lacquered Up, Perfectly Polished Tips, Casual Lavish, The Crystal Files and The Nailphile) are also participating in Zoya's promotion of their new summer color lines. Definitely head out to their sites to check out the new colors. Hopefully it'll be released before April 28; I want to exchange Kotori for something better!

Here are a few of my Zoya pics to help you select some goodies the next go 'round:

Anastacia

Casey

Cyma

Gaia

Janice

Lindsay

Suvi

Yasmeen

Zara

2007-2008 Top 20: #14-#11 Vignettes

2009-02-27T19:04:00.008-06:00

#14: Hot Topic Iridescent Purple

I love this color despite its inability to be photographed properly. Almost all pictures of this color appear blurple, which it is not. It has some blurple glitter, but it is a true purple. It's kind of jelly with gorgeous glitter flecks that resemble glass. The bottle and brush will definitely give a user fits due to its inconvenient shape and cap, though.

#13: Chanel Antilope

After the disappointment of Black Satin and US Vamp, Antilope turned me to the dark side known as Chanel. I loved the neutral tone, especially during summer 2008. My favorite application of Antilope was for French tips. The main problem with Antilope is the dreaded streaks from metallic polishes, but I feel like the gorgeous neutral shade makes up for it.

#12: Essie Wicked

I turned to Wicked after my purchase of Chanel Vamp turned to be a bust. This was my first crème vampy, which I loved immensely. Of all my Essies (with the exception of a certain mini bottle), it is the only bottle close to empty.

#11: Hard Candy Sky

Hard Candy Sky takes me back to the days when quoting Clueless was "in". This color was popularized by Alicia Silverstone when she name-checked it on Letterman. I remember the bright pastel colors and of course, the ubiquitous jelly ring. I didn't get a chance to own it until very recently; their website had them for sale at $1.75 a bottle. The shipping cost more than the two polishes I ordered. I found Trailer Trash and Tantrum at TJ Maxx for $2.99 each along with a lot of their other makeup products on the cheap.

Nail vs. Nail: Chanel Or de Russie

2009-02-26T19:57:00.008-06:00

While I have sung my praises of Chanel's Moscou collection, Or de Russie comes close to taking it away. Not because of the color (I think it's fantastically gorgeous), but because I freaked and thought I may have bought a $30 dupe of another Chanel I already owned.

My sisters thought that Or de Russie looked a lot like Haute Chocolat, a color I worked myself up into a frenzy for that fall that sorely disappointed me. After taking pictures of a comparision, they were wrong:

With flash (Or de Russie on index, middle and left side of thumbnail; Haute Chocolat on ring, pinky and right side of thumbnail)

No flash

I was kind of scared for a minute prior to the side-by-side comparison. After all, both colors do have gold flecks, but Or de Russie is more yellow and Haute Chocolat is more muted. Or de Russie's base looks brown due to the gold flecks but is black, while Haute Chocolat is a true chocolate brown.

I prefer Or de Russie because it suits my skin tone a lot better than Haute Chocolat. I feel that Haute Chocolat would suit me better at a fairer skin tone (i.e., my skin tone while I was studying in England).

(Or de Russie on index, middle and left side of thumbnail; Wagon Trail on ring, pinky and right side of thumbnail)

Another color that is a relative of Or de Russie is China Glaze Wagon Trail. Wagon Trail is darker than Or de Russie, which has more lit-from-within flash from the yellow gold glitter.

I don't regret buying Or de Russie and I prefer it to its close cousins, but I guess I will have to think twice before drinking the Chanel Kool-Aid so impulsively next time.

2007-2008 Top 20: #15 China Glaze Ruby Pumps/Lubu Heels

2009-02-25T15:47:00.004-06:00

One of the main things on my "outrageously priced item" wish list are a pair of Christian Louboutin heels. While Manolos are the main attraction due to Sex and the City, Louboutins and their signature red soles stole my heart. I love Christina Aguilera's retro look; a style I hope to emulate once I get that cash. The look is usually accompanied by a pair of Louboutins. Considering that I am only 4'9 1/2, I need all the help I can get.

However, since I am broke, I occasionally indulge with a Louboutin mani. I know I'm totally late in the game with this, but I love the pairing of black and red. In the early days of my nail polish addiction (winter 2007), I attempted the manicure on much shorter nails. I used Chanel Black Satin and an unknown red glitter Jessica polish for the look.

I didn't attempt a Louboutin mani until a couple days before I went to New Orleans in December. My nail length at the time was ideal for the Louboutin mani. By this time, I owned the China Glaze Lubu set: Lubu Heels and Ruby Pumps.

No flash

With flash

There is one huge drawback to the Louboutin manicure: it is a bitch and a half to remove. First of all, you're dealing with glitter nail polish: every manicurist's nightmare. I remember back in my acrylic days, I had on a cheap pink glitter polish prior to my nail appointment. I'm pretty sure the manicurist surreptitiously glared at me while scrubbing my nails down with acetone. That's not even dealing with the underside of the nail. You'll be scrubbing this stuff off for days, be warned!

While this isn't an everyday look, it's definitely fun for a night out. Don't be scared by red tips; it'll just give you an excuse to rock all those other vampies in your collection.

I don't get green.

2009-02-24T11:46:00.003-06:00

I just committed nail polish blasphemy.

Don't get me wrong, I own a few fetching greens myself. I just don't get the whole hype (i.e., $80 eBay Zulu madness). Maybe it's because I don't really wear green. I'm most likely to get pinched every March 17 because I don't have anything green to wear.

...Until now.

Prior to the China Glaze Summer Days collection, I only owned two other full collections (Zoya Flourish and Chanel Moscou) and two almost-full collections (Zoya Twist minus Moxie and Misa Sugar Sugar minus Confection Section). I was immediately attracted to the glass-flecked gorgeousness of it all. However, one color stole my heart:

...China Glaze Watermelon Rind.

Wearing this after the disaster known as Zoya Kotori completely restored my faith in nail polish and (maybe?) made me believe in green.

2007-2008 Top 20: #19-#16 Vignettes

2009-02-24T01:10:00.009-06:00

#19: Zoya Yasmeen

This color is purple perfection. If there is a certain shade of purple that is associated with royalty, Yasmeen nails it along with its subtle gold shimmer. This is great for people looking for a dark purple without heading into the near-black category (i.e., Lincoln Park After Dark or Chanel Vendetta).

#18: Essie Short Shorts

Essie Short Shorts was the first pink neon I have liked. My sister is a huge fan of pink neons but I never liked any of the ones she had, but I was also still in my vamp stage. I bought my other sister the Essie Neons mini set as an early birthday present and took a liking to neons, especially Short Shorts. Between the three of us, that mini bottle of Short Shorts was quickly depleted. Since then, I have searched in vain for a dupe and ended up with a bunch of neon pinks that are close, but no cigar. My sister has happily taken them off my hands. I finally ordered a full bottle of Short Shorts that came in with my China Glaze Summer Days collection from Transdesign.

EDIT: This picture was taken indoors and required about 5-6 coats because I doused the final remnants of the mini-bottle with nail polish thinner; it really looks nothing like it does in RL. I'll try to get an updated pic now that I have a full bottle.

#17: OPI Have You Seen My Limo?

Have You Seen My Limo is to duochromes the way My Private Jet was to holographics for me. I was thoroughly impressed the first time I applied it. I was shocked by the duochrome, which changes from purple to brown to this blue-green sheen at different angles. Since then, I can't get enough of duochromes (yet I'm holding out on Nubar for financial reasons). I spent a whole morning at work trying to photograph the different sides of HYSML which is why of all my nail polish colors, it has the most pictures saved on my computer.

#16: Chanel Nuit de Russie

I graduated from university on December 13, 2008. I say this because that's how I rationalized dropping $90 for 3 bottles of nail polish: a graduation gift to myself. I seriously flipped the moment I saw the Moscou collection. A few select colors have had the distinction of an instant must-have the moment I see it; what makes the Moscou collection unique is that I didn't even see it swatched yet, but I had to have it due to what I saw on the promos. The moment it allowed me to order online, I was there with credit card in tow. I do think $30 is steep for any polish, but I don't regret it one bit. Of the three, my favorite is Nuit de Russie (followed closely by Feu de Russie). Or de Russie is last only because of a future Nail vs. Nail post. My picture does not do it justice: it has a lit-from-within blue sparkle. On my thumbnail was my very first (and partially scratched off) Konad experiment in China Glaze OMG and Konad plate m63.

Today (well, technically yesterday) I received my China Glaze Summer Days collection...wow! I really like China Glaze. I've heard complaints of their formula, but I love their collections; it marches to a different beat rather than Essie or OPI *glares* I have managed to more than double my collection within the first 2 months of 2009, from 103 at the end of 2008 to the current 212. *gulps* I think I may have a serious problem...that and my family is starting to notice the frequent packages sent to me...

No sir, I don't like it.

2009-02-23T21:44:00.005-06:00

I really wanted to like this color. Really, I did.

It's pretty hard for me to dislike a color that's not a stereotypical pink/red.

Unlike Zoya Lindsay, which ended up endearing itself to me with its pink jelly/glittery goodness, I couldn't get myself to like Zoya Kotori. I love the name, I just can't stand the color. First of all, it took 4 coats to reach optimal opacity, which is a pain. Even at ideal opacity, it had this watery look that I did not like; it reminded me of watered-down ink. Also, it just did not look right with my skin tone. I can usually rock most colors, but it wasn't happening with Kotori.

I don't think I've ever disliked a color as much as I loathe this color. The only consolation I have was that I only spent 3 dollars on it as part of the Zoya exchange promo (JUMP ON IT, it ends February 28!!!). I would be much more upset had I spent the full 6 dollars. Am I cracking up? I'd like to hear your nail polish disappointment stories.

A quick question...

2009-02-21T23:10:00.005-06:00

I was browsing through Chanel's site and realized that the Moscou collection is gone...how long ago did they discontinue it? I'm a little miffed now that they have re-released Chanel Rouge Noir, a color that I bought the $60 holiday gift set for (which included Allegoria, a color that reduces me to four-letter outbursts thanks to the streakiness that rivals Essie). I really only look at their website if I hear of a new collection, so I'm not really up-to-date on things. So if there's anyone out there in nail-bloggerland who knows, hit me up!

Thanks!

The Asian Girl

2007-2008 Top 20: OPI My Private Jet

2009-02-21T11:50:00.005-06:00

While 2008 has come and gone, I'd like to present my own top 20. I also included my 2007 polishes because I only owned less than 10 prior to 2008.

First up at #20: OPI My Private Jet

I've read that there are two different batches of MPJ. I'm not sure which one I picked up; all I know that it's full of holographic goodness and takes about 3-4 coats to ensure opacity.

My Private Jet was my first foray into holographic polishes. I was torn between which to buy while at the store; this or OPI Baby It's "Coal" Outside. While I would eventually own that one as well, I was ecstatic with MPJ.

My only complaint is the 3-4 coats. I soon used this over one of my other favorite polishes, Chanel Rouge Noir:

I sure miss my old nail length. *sighs*

22 years of nail-biting down the drain...

2009-02-19T22:16:00.009-06:00

There is a recurring theme among many nail polish fanatics:

Many of us are recovering and/or former nail biters.

For as long as I can remember, I was a nail biter. I remember seeing my sister's fantastic nails (and enviable long nail beds) and being green with envy. I was cursed with stumps and constantly gnawed at them.

This will probably be one of the few nail pictures I will not mark. It is so disgusting that I have no idea why anyone would want to take it. This picture was from my freshman year of college (please disregard the underage alcoholic beverage; this was the best picture I could find of the stumps). If this picture looks painful, it's because it was. I would bite as close to the quick as possible, sometimes breaking skin and drawing blood.

However, to circumvent this, I moved on to acrylics. I loved loved loved loved LOVED acrylics...I had them on almost non-stop from January 2004 to December 2006. However, whenever the acrylics came off, I was back to my painful chewing routine.

(Yes, they are porn-star-pink-and-whites. Don't hate.)

Around Christmastime 2006, I had a long streak of bad luck. During the midst of this, I lost my job and in turn gave up my beloved acrylics. My best guy friend gave me reassurance during this tough time: "Since all these bad things have happened to you so far, something really good has got to happen." On the last week of January 2007, I was on my way to England to study abroad for 5 months.

During this time, I finally learned to let my nails grow out. I was really tempted to go to the local nail salon for a full set but balked at the price. I soon learned to take care of my own nails. Strangely enough, despite my dependency on acrylics, I had the good sense to pack a manicure kit with my luggage. My first exposure to Zoya was while studying abroad thanks to my Canadian friend Krackie.

I don't know the name of this Zoya polish. All I remember was that it was a basic blue-tinged red creme.

As with all bad habits, there is always a chance of relapse. My only relapse was during a toga party. My nails were the longest they had ever been, but that night they were unpolished. I remember biting them off while I was talking to a very attractive friend of a friend during the party and being very nervous.

Note the right pinky nail.

I haven't bit my nails since May 2007. I don't get the urges anymore; even in times of extreme anxiety. Knowing how far I have come, I can't bear to bite again.

...Now if they would only grow faster!!!

FingerPaints Black Gumdrop

Trailer Trash vs. Trixie

2009-02-17T22:56:00.005-06:00

Welcome to a new feature here at Gettin' Nailed: The Nail vs. Nail series!

Ever buy a polish then realize you have one that might as well be its twin? Isn't it, well, frustrating?! And it can get expensive! (Example: Chanel Or de Russie vs. China Glaze Wagon Trail. Not exact, but it still is $30!)

While dupes can be frustrating, I'm always fascinated to see subtle differences between similar polishes. The average nail fanatic can spot the differences, but to the untrained eye, it all looks the same. My poor, deluded baby sister still insists I have many of the same colors...but she doesn't know better.

Tonight's main event are two recently acquired polishes: Hard Candy Trailer Trash and Zoya Trixie.

In the bottle picture above, they look very similar: silver metallic glitter. However, out of the bottle:

Thumb: Trailer Trash (left) Trixie, (right), Trixie (index and middle), Trailer Trash (ring and pinky) Note: Thanks Nessa!

Trailer Trash is more muted; I think it looks a lot like Cover Girl Mattalic Triple Platinum minus the matte finish. Trixie, however: WOW! I love the foil finish, it definitely pops out and grabs you by the throat. I have to say, my favorite is Trixie...Trailer Trash would've had a better chance if it had the jelly ring included with it :P

Nail misadventures in NOLA...

2009-02-16T23:45:00.004-06:00

Let me start off by saying: I love New Orleans.

However, I tend to have bad luck there when it comes to nails. During my first time out there, (Mardi Gras 2004) an acrylic nail snapped off. When I went to the Hornets game back in December, I tripped down concrete steps at the Arena and cracked my big toenail.

Ironically, today's NOTD is more Valentine's-themed than the one I actually sported on Valentine's Day. I wore Essie Sexy Divide, one of my current favorites. Unfortunately, my right index fingernail snapped off while I hurried to get my shoes on. I didn't have a file, so I ended up walking around NOLA with a broken nail.

But then again, what do all three incidents have in common? ...Pre-partying. Oops.

So here I am, sporting stumps. My nails haven't been this short in about 8 months, but I take it as a sign that I needed a change. I do wish I had longer nail beds, however.

Zoya Lindsay is one of the thirteen I picked up from Zoya's amazing exchange offer. (There's 12 days left, go take advantage of it!) I was a little disappointed when I first swatched it; it takes about 3-4 coats to achieve bottle color and due to its translucent nature, still exhibits visible nail line syndrome. However, wearing it all day endeared Lindsay to me...it looks better in the sunlight, but I took the picture late in the day.

There is great news however: I got my camera back! There will definitely be more swatching and NOTD posts in the future. Tomorrow, I (finally) receive my MAC Hello Kitty polishes! I saw them while at Saks in New Orleans and cursed that I bought them online. Oh well, you live, you learn.

NOTD: NYC Nail Glossies 235

2009-02-13T18:08:00.005-06:00

I'm very impressed by NYC. It's a bargain brand yet produces great nail polish. BFF1 bought me 5 NYC polishes for potential Konad use over Christmas and I've only gotten around to swatching them recently. The bottle color didn't look promising; just a dusty dark pink. However, out of the bottle: WOW! I don't own Miami Beet or My Throne For A Cranberry Scone, but I wonder if it's a dupe; the vibrant pink reminds me of those colors. (...but I can be sorely mistaken.)

Chinatown is another NYC standout. It's from their new line In A New York Color Minute. I liked it when I saw it on Steph's Closet, but I was a little disappointed seeing it in person. However, I only saw it indoors, but outside in the sunlight, it's freakin' fantastic! It looks dull indoors but sunlight makes the shimmer pop.

For around 2-3 bucks, NYC is a great deal. They have decent color variety (especially their limited editions such as Cognac Sparkle and Molten Metal) and great application. The wear on 235 wasn't great, but I'm a waitress so my nails see a lot of wear and tear.

I will be in New Orleans this weekend, so no posts until Sunday night at the earliest. I will definitely answer your comments and try to work on some suggestions when I return. I received my Zoya exchange polishes today and was completely impressed by my choices, especially one that I thought would be lackluster. On Tuesday, my picks from the Hello Kitty MAC collection (On The Prowl and Something About Pink) should be coming in. Ooh, I'm so excited!

Another way-back flashback...

2009-02-12T22:59:00.002-06:00

Does anyone else out there in nail blogland remember scented nail polish? It was a big trend back in the late '90s (probably '96-'99; I remember it was while I was in middle school). I've looked it up and found candy scents, but I remember back then they had popular scents such as Tommy Girl (one that I particularly detest, I should add). Whatever happened to those? Do any of you still have a bottle or rocked it? Hit me up.

A way-back flashback...

2009-02-11T20:36:00.007-06:00

I have a confession.

Once upon a time, this was my favorite song:

*hangs head in shame*

Oh, come on, I was 14 at the time! My object of lust was Nick Carter, for Christ's sake!

*sees the raised eyebrows*

Okay, okay, I'm digging myself into a hole here.

Back in 1999, nail polish was a lot more adventurous. (DAMN, has it really been that long?! *hangs head in shame*) Cover Girl definitely had some interesting polishes on the market.

First off, Mattalic Triple Platinum:

I found this at a Dollar Tree with a bottle of Crackle! *swoon* Two way-back flashbacks in one package, I practically hyperventilated when I found this. I clearly remember my cousin owning a bottle of the purple Mattalic. I, however, never owned my own bottle because I sported chewed-up stumps at the time. Adolescence: it's a bitch.

Back to the nail polish: this dried quickly and as the bottle states, matte. I'm not really a fan of matte finishes in either nail polish or lipstick...the dryness turns me off. For those of you like me, I added a coat of Poshe:

I think it may need more than one coat of top coat to show off the glittery goodness of Mattalic polishes. This picture is only one coat of Poshe. The bottle color is very sparkly; this is muted by the matte finish but can be enhanced with a good top coat.

Here's another color, Pink Zinc:

I don't know why, this color reminds me of Hello Kitty. Speaking of which, I can't wait for my MAC Hello Kitty polishes to come in! I really like the color of Pink Zinc, but I'm not very sure it complements my skin color. I have a problem with pinks; the only color I have ever returned was a pink (OPI Makes Men Blush). My all-time favorite is slowly becoming hard-to-find, Essie Short Shorts.

I used Pink Zinc as a base for an anti-Valentine mani:

With flash

Without flash

While I find the color combination overused, I love pink and black together. I feel the two are very complementary. I'm still getting used to Crackle, I prefer the deep recesses as shown with the pinky nail.

There's your walk through nail memory lane...now excuse me while I listen to my Britney Spears records.

5 bucks, a card and a stolen keychain

2009-02-11T17:16:00.005-06:00

Remembering my only Valentine's Day with a boyfriend always makes laugh. My first boyfriend was a peculiar sort; he was the class valedictorian known for his laconic and deadpan sense of humor. When my best friend asked him what he was planning to give me for Valentine's Day, he replied, "Can't I just give her 5 bucks and a card?" In response, BFF1 hit him. I got a box of chocolates instead.

What I miss most from Valentine's Days of the past is a Snoopy keychain. It was a plastic figurine of Snoopy and Woodstock in a pink car with a heart on it; an additional gift with a box of chocolates. Sadly enough, this was stolen along with my set of keys that contained my credit card, college ID and drivers' license in October 2003.

Thus, I present to you, my Valentine's Day mani:

With flash

Without flash

My original idea was a half-moon mani with french tips. Unfortunately, my tips turned out too puffy, like fabric paint. I decided to add a little flair using the silver Sally Hansen nail art pen. I like the nail art pen, specifically its ease of use, but I dislike the $7.99 price tag. The base color is yesterday's NOTD, Revlon Color Illusion Silver Switch. The red is one of the best promotional items ever, Essie Pama. Essie Pama was free giveaway promoting Pama pomegranate liqueur, something I plan on trying one of these days. The tip color is Misa Sugar Daddy, one of my favorite whites yet requires 3-4 coats to ensure opacity.

I don't know what my final Valentine's Day mani will be yet; I'm going on a little trip to my favorite US city, New Orleans! I'm considering Essie Sexy Divide with maybe a coat of China Glaze Wireless Holographic top coat; it will definitely be a lot simpler than today's design.

Licensed To Ill

2009-02-10T19:44:00.006-06:00

Even before my nail polish addiction, I have always loved discount stores. Many of my favorite clothing items are discount store finds. Some days you'll walk in and walk out empty-handed, yet some days you end up with something really special.

I miss the drugstore nail polish lines of days past...i.e., Sally Hansen Nail Prisms, Cover Girl Mattalic, etc. I feel like drugstore brands are playing it way too safe lately, with the exception of Sally Hansen's overpriced nail art pens. However, discount stores are here to save the day!

I went to a couple of Big Lots stores this weekend and made a new discovery: Revlon Color Illusion. One word: DUOCHROME!!! The moment I found one, I had to find them all! In total, my Color Illusion haul turned to 12. (Total haul of the day: 21. I have a problem.)

A couple of colors aren't duochrome, but are beautifully rich. I'll post swatches as I go. Today's NOTD is from the line, Silver Switch.

Silver Switch is silver that changes to purple and green at different angles. This picture was the closest I could get to capturing its multifaceted nature. I don't remember the color's name, but I remember the first duochrome nail polish I got back in middle school was a Revlon.

I got these colors at an amazing price: $2 for a pack of 2! You can't really beat that except at the Dollar Tree!

Nailonomics

2009-02-10T16:22:00.002-06:00

During this trying times with the economy, many of us are trying to find cheaper avenues of escape. I know many of you out there balk at the prices of nail polish. I remember OPI being priced at $6.50 back in 2006 and Chanel at $18 in 2007. Now OPI is $8.50 and Chanel $20 (or $25-$30 depending on the collection), definitely a huge jump.

Most of my disposable income is spent on nail polish. There is nothing that compares to that except maybe going out to eat and clothing during post-holiday sales.

I do find the retail prices of the common brands (i.e., OPI (ESPECIALLY the DS line), Essie, China Glaze) to be inflated, which is why I've gone out of my way to find other avenues of purchase.

My main exception is Chanel. While I was greatly disappointed by the first two Chanels I purchased (Black Satin and US Vamp), I have been impressed by others such as Kaleidoscope, Vendetta and Nuit de Russie. The moment I saw the Moscou collection, I knew I HAD to have it. My most expensive nail polish endeavor was ordering the whole collection the day it was available online. The next expensive was ordering Chanel's holiday nail gift set, which included a long-time lemming: Rouge Noir.

Except Chanel, I rarely pay full price for nail polish. I remember one random trip to Bealls Outlet and I found a champagne-like Revlon for $1.50. When I got to the counter, apparently it was also 95% off and totaled to $0.07. YES, $0.07 nail polish!

I do have a limit when it comes to pricing, however. Even though I long for Essie Starry Starry Night, there is no way in hell am I paying $50. Prior to the Moscou collection, I was not convinced enough to pay $30 for Gold Fiction. I do wonder however, if OPI Symphony In Gold compares to Gold Fiction, which I found at a Bealls Outlet for $7 paired with OPI Thrills In Beverly Hills top coat. Something interesting I've also found was that while all the hype surrounded Gold Fiction last summer, they still have bottles of it at my local Chanel counter yet Kaleidoscope is long gone (*grumbles to self*).

For those of you who don't want to spend the full retail prices of nail polish, I suggest looking at drugstore brands. I think there's a bit of stigma associated with those brands, but I've found quite a few fetching colors and even wear with drugstore brands. The best deals can be found at discount chains such as Dollar Tree and Big Lots, with sets of 2 going for $1 or $2.

Also, brands such as OPI and Essie can be found for prices comparable or even cheaper than the most expensive Sally Hansen line via online vendors. Better yet, if you're going to buy online, take advantage of Zoya's nail polish exchange…but act quick because all packages need to arrive at their headquarters before Feb. 28!

Happy hunting!

Wish upon a star...

2009-02-06T23:31:00.001-06:00

I have an incredibly gorgeous male friend. He is what we call traditionally good-looking: tall, dark and ridiculously hot. I've even slept in his bed! (…alone.)

Another male friend of mine isn't traditionally handsome like the former, but has a je ne sais quoi about him and is entertaining on a whole another level. His eyes are a brilliant shade of cornflower blue that I would kill for if it were a microglitter nail polish a la Misa Sugar Daddy. (For those of you not in the know, blue eyes are my weakness. D'oh!)

What does any of this have to do with nail polish?

My biggest and most elusive lemming is Essie Starry Starry Night. I cannot have any of the above.

The apex of my nail polish addiction started shortly after Essie stopped the re-release of SSN and Viva La Vespa. I kick myself on a regular basis (okay, not that regular, but often) that I didn't get into nail polish seriously until Fall 2008. I sometimes get a little sad when I see it on other blogs. (Talk about nail envy! Grow a pair, Asian Girl!)

I found that SSN is available through Harrods' site. However, after the currency conversion and shipping costs, it would total up to $50. I've already spent $30 each on Chanels; I cross the line there. I almost thought about calling up an old study abroad pal who is back in London for grad school to help me out but the shipping rates would probably still apply.

Because of this deep longing of SSN, I resorted to what may be my biggest low concerning my addiction. Bealls Outlet is a Florida-based discount chain where I frequent to find random nail polish colors. I found a "grab bag" of nail polishes, mostly full of Sally Hansen colors (seriously, how many craptacular colors can be made from pink and red?) but one caught my eye…a SSN lookalike! I almost had a heart attack on the spot. I, for one, did not want to spend 8 dollars for the bag. (There is no rhyme or reason to this. I have dedicated much more dollars and credit on less-worthy nail polish endeavors.) I found a loose color of Rimmel with a $1.50 price tag, carefully removed it and put it on my SSN lookalike and put the Rimmel in the grab bag and high-tailed it to the register.

Was it worth it? Take a look:

While I just divulged my snarkiest nail polish confession (hey, at least I didn't steal it from someone's bathroom *cough*SarahMichelleGellar*cough*), I think Bealls got the last laugh. Their regular store recently had a MAJOR sale (50% and 70% off color clearance plus take an extra 40% off) and they sucked over a hundred bucks from me last week. They definitely got their money's worth from me.

However, I'm still holding out hope for guys (not those guys, but the others out there) and Essie Starry Starry Night. I just won't spend $50 for either.

"I wanna be rich

Never work at all

And sleep all day

And I wanna see it all

Oh, I want, I want everything

I want everything I can't have"

- "Everything I Can't Have", Robin Thicke

CONTEST CONTEST CONTEST

2009-02-05T23:04:00.000-06:00

What's better than getting a dozen roses on Valentines' Day?

Getting a dozen nail polish roses instead!

Hightail it over to Brooke's site at http://getchanailsdid.blogspot.com and enter!

Ladies, I know you find me sexy.

2009-02-05T21:47:00.001-06:00

I love Chris Paul.

How do I count the ways? Well, for starters, he's not the typical tatted-up thug trying to cut a rap album. He's cute as a button. He's the kind of guy you can take home to Mom. Oh, yeah, and he's the future of the NBA.

...Did I mention he's cute as a button?

Thanks to Chris Paul, I decided to dip my toes into the world of nail art. In preparation for the December 23 New Orleans Hornets vs. Los Angeles Lakers match, I tried a couple of designs.

This design is based on the Hornets' home jersey. I used Zoya Gaia as the base while Zoya Yasmeen and China Glaze For Audrey were used for detailing. For Audrey isn't close to the Hornets teal; it was just what I had at the time.

While studying abroad in England, I took a class on modern art and wrote an arduous paper on Piet Mondrian. This design definitely has Mondrian influence. The base is Essie Marshmallow and the detailing is Zoya Yasmeen, Essie Shorty Pants and Color Club Bizerk Turq.

This was the design I wore to New Orleans for the game. I was inspired by the Louboutin manicure I sported the day before. The base color is Bizerk Turq and the detailing is Essie Shorty Pants, Zoya Yasmeen and Essie Marshmallow. The thumb design is based on the Hornets' away jersey.

Unfortunately, as you can see (and what I found out upon buying a jersey of my own prior to the game), Bizerk Turq was too green. It did, however, resemble the older jersey as seen above. However, I have since bought a more suitable blue (China Glaze Shower Together) so I am ready for the playoffs! GEAUX HORNETS!

WELCOME!

2009-02-05T21:03:00.001-06:00

You have reached the realm of The Asian Girl. I'm a newbie at both the blogging/nail polish thing. I've been a long-time lurker at many of the popular nail blogs (wow, that makes me sound like such a creeper) and decided it was time to finally share my addiction with the world.

Addiction, you say? While grocery shopping, I have to troll by the cosmetics aisle even though I will more than likely be disappointed. Impulsively buying a collection the day it comes out online despite the exorbitant price (90 dollars, are you out of your mind?!) counts as an addiction. But that's not as desperate as when you find yourself on your hands and knees on the floor of your former favorite nail salon looking at the bottles for sale.

I currently own 146 bottles of nail polish. I'm not up to the typical nail blogger number (…yet.), but I only began this little obsession back in the autumn of 2007. This number will certainly change, probably as soon as tomorrow. I plan on talking about a myriad of nail polish topics: NOTD (which is going to be postponed due to my camera currently being MIA), nail products, nail art, and personal opinions regarding nail polish.

Before we begin dishing about polish, I must warn you: I have a foul mouth and have a predilection for inappropriate comments. That's just how I am…so if you are sensitive to certain four-letter words and dirty humor, you may want to step away or just concentrate on the pictures instead. See! Everyone wins!

Here's a little bit of side information about me:

I'm a recent college graduate (BS in Community Health Ed) currently working as a waitress at a restaurant located in a local military base on the lookout for my first post-grad job.

I'm full-bred Filipina-American (hence, the "Asian" part).

I like to make a lot of side comments and use lots of semi-colons. That's why my stories tend to ramble on; it's a trait I inherited from my mother.

Thanks for stopping by!

Note: The first picture was my nail polish collection on May 4, 2008. The second is my collection on January 20, 2009.