Nubar Reclaim

I can't believe I've only shown one polish so far from Nubar's Going Green collection -- the whole collection is quite fabulous :-)

Nubar Reclaim




This is the duochrome of the collection. It is a shimmery green that also shines yellow/gold. The formula on this was great - it applied fluidly, evenly, and was opaque in two coats. I have four more polishes from this collection to try out. I normally love green - it's one of my favorite colors. However, I haven't really been in a green polish mood lately. I have been more into reds, pinks, and browns. I really need to add back into that rotation after seeing these pics :-D

I am super excited because the Michael Jackson DVD for This is It came out this week and I can't wait to buy it!! I am a huuuuuge MJ fan, and was so sad when he passed away. I meant to watch the movie in the theatres, but couldn't find anyone to go with me, and work was so busy. By the time I finally talked my boyfriend into watching it with me, it was announced that the DVD would be out in January, so I let him out of the movie obligation... haha. Anyway, I can't wait to buy it and hopefully watch it this weekend. If I had to pick a favorite MJ song, it would either be PYT or Wanna Be Startin' Something.

Blog Shoutout: Wong Food!

It's time to show some blogger love to some good friends of mine. If you're like me, you can't cook worth a lick, but you loooooove to eat. Enter wong food! This 'blog was started by one of my friends, and is written in collaboration with her siblings.

They are true culinary geniuses -- they share recipes and share their love of and for food with the rest of the interwebs. Dishes range from appetizers, to main courses, to desserts, and just about anything you can think of. Just looking at the pictures makes me want to drool all over my computer!

So, to all my other foodies out there -- check out their blog, add them to your Google Reader, and show them some love :-)

http://wongfood.blogspot.com/

Sephora by OPI Absinthe Makes the Heart

Umm.... Top 20 alert!!! This polish is debuting near the top of my all-time list -- I can't believe how gorgeous it is!!

Sephora by OPI Absinthe Makes The Heart




As soon as I saw this at Sephora, I knew I had to immediately pick it up. It applied beautifully in just two coats. The formula was great and it went on smoothly, without any issues. It is a dark green/black polish with tons of rainbow microglitter packed in there. It is so shiny and beautiful! The polish is deliciously dark, but not so dark that it looks black. It is still unmistakenly green, which is just to-die-for! Love it! **SQUEALLLLL**

Color Club Strawberry Candle

Here is another polish from Color Club's Japanese Glitters collection.

Color Club Strawberry Candle




I am wearing two coats here. The polish was a little difficult to work with. It is almost TOO thick and TOO jellyish. I liked that I had pretty good coverage for two coats, but it was painful to apply each coat. This is a gorgeous sparkly sheer medium pink. I am not a huge fan of sheers, and this is the next most-opaque polish in the collection, right after Too Violet. I don't have too many Color Clubs in my collection, but I really like the ones that I do have. Hmm... maybe it's time to get some more! :-D

You'll all have to excuse the horrible condition my cuticles are in. Winter is always hell for me and my skin :-( I try to put Lush's Lemony Flutter on my cuticles when I can, but it's very difficult because I'm constantly using my hands and washing them too. Argh!

MAC Nightfall

I loooove dark polishes -- they're so pretty :-)

MAC Nightfall




This one had a great formula - opaque in two coats and went on smoothly. It is a dark charcoal gray with a hint of shimmer. After I put it on, I noticed that it looked a lot like Essie's Over The Top, but at 1.5 times the retail price. So, if you want this color, but don't want to pay the price, get Essie's version instead. Here's a pic for reference :-)

OPI You Don't Know Jacques Suede

Another gorgeous OPI Suede to show off -- this one might possibly be my favorite one of the bunch so far!

OPI You Don't Know Jacques Suede




The color is difficult to describe - the non-suede version of this polish is a dark mushroomy gray. However, this one I think leans more toward a brown. It kind of reminds me of mud, but a glittery form of mud! If you look really close, you can see bits of multi-color glitter in there. I think that's why this one is my favorite. It is deceivingly beautiful!

China Glaze DV8 + Nicole Winter Glitterland

Sometimes, I try out little experiments, and they seem to work. And, other times, they don't :-( I saw this glittery bottle of Nicole at Ulta, and I just had to buy it! I thought it would make an excellent glitter topcoat, and I decided to put it over a holographic polish, which probably wasn't the best idea in the world!

China Glaze DV8 + Nicole Winter Glitterland




Glitter on top of an already-shimmery holo is not the best idea I've ever had. Winter Glitterland is a clear polish with large rainbow hexagonal glitter in it as well as multi-colored small glitter. I put one coat of it over China Glaze's DV8 and decided I didn't really like how it looked, so I stopped after that. Even though it doesn't look all too great in this picture, I still think Winter Glitterland is beautiful, and will probably try it over a matte or suede polish next!

China Glaze DV8

Another China Glaze Collection that I absolutely adore - the OMG! Collection! This collection of holographic polishes includes this gorgeous stunner:

China Glaze DV8




Check out how glossy and beautiful that is!! The pictures don't do it justice! It is a gorgeous teal/turquoise holographic sparkler. It was opaque in two coats, had wonderful application, and it sparkles with a hint of silver and also GREEN! So beautiful <3

China Glaze Magical

I really like China Glaze's Romantique Collection. I was kinda iffy on this polish at first, but ended up liking it!

China Glaze Magical




My pictures didn't come out good *at all* but Magical is sort of a sheer pink/nude color with a highly metallic finish. Most of the Romantique polishes are opaque in one coat, but this one wasn't quite that thick and it took me two coats to achieve full coverage. It is a very nice, work-appropriate color with a kick. My favorite polish so far from this collection is Delight. But, I have a few more to work through :-)

China Glaze Mom's Chiffon

This color is definitely out of the ordinary for me, but I kinda like it!

China Glaze Mom's Chiffon




I got the 6-pack minis of the Immaterial Girl collection, which is a set of mostly pinks. I figured I would travel out of my comfort zone for a little bit and explore colors that I am normally not used to. I like China Glaze Minis because they don't skimp on the bottle or the brush, and is is practically like applying polish from a full-sized bottle. I don't think I can say that about any other polish mini! The formula on this one was a tad runny and took three coats. It is a bright (but not neon) pink. It really does remind me of chiffon -- from the 1980's. Or maybe a bottle of Pepto Bismol :-P

OPI Ink Suede + China Glaze Glacier

Time to jazz up my last NOTD!

OPI Ink Suede + China Glaze Glacier




After about a day, my polish started to chip, so I threw a special coat of glitter polish on top to spice it up. I used China Glaze's Glacier, from their Specialty Collection. It is a milky-clear polish with rainbow glitter. As you can tell, it totally transformed my mani into something completely out of this world. Don't mind the chips -- I didn't bother to touch up my suede color prior to putting on Glacier. I am only wearing one coat of Glacier, and I really like the results! It's a super colorful and glittery dark blue color that is to-die-for! Loves it!! :-)

OPI Ink Suede

Polish #3 out of #6 from OPI's Suede Collection!

OPI Ink Suede




Hmmm... this one confuses me a bit. The original OPI Ink shade is a dark, blackened purple shimmer. Maybe it's just me, but this one looks really BLUE to me -- almost like a pair of jeans. I still like the color though, but don't call it Ink just to get people to buy it! lol As with all the other Suedes I've featured, this one applied well, dried incredibly quick, and was perfect in two coats. I really like the Suede Collection. My one criticism is they chip WAY too easily and a manicure never lasts for more than a day or two. So, I usually change it up a little and dress up the Suedes after a day or two. More of that to come tomorrow :-)

OPI Copper Mountain Copper

I don't know what it is about this polish, because it doesn't really look like anything special and it doesn't stand out on its own, but I absolutely love it!

OPI Copper Mountain Copper




This is the re-released version that came out with OPI's Colorcopia Collection. It is a lovely mix of brown/red/pink with a slightly frosty finish. It was beautifully opaque in two coats, and applied wonderfully. It reminds me of a lighter version of China Glaze's Fashionably Late. It is total gorgeousness. Loves it!

Coach Booties! Brandie and Alexandria!

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted anything except nails! So, it's time to dedicate some blog space to one of the other loves of my life - SHOES! I mean, every girl loves shoes, right??

Coach recently had a shoe sale on a lot of their winter styles and I picked up a few pairs of high-heeled booties. The first is the Brandie, and I got them in *both* gray and black, because I couldn't decide which color I liked better :-P I've been lemming after this boot for a while, but at $218 retail, I couldn't justify the cost. Also, an open-toed bootie seems ridiculous to me. You're supposed to wear boots in the fall/winter, but come that time, it is far to cold to wear anything open-toe. Also, they have a stiletto heel and non-grip soles, so I had NO clue when I was going to wear these. But, they were just too gorgeous to pass up, so I had to snatch them when they went on sale. And, at almost 50% off, I practically got both pairs for the price of one :-D My fellow shopaholics have got to appreciate that!

My next boot purchase was a little more practical -- they're called the Alexandria and they come in both brown and black. I got the black:

This boot is made from the softest, most buttery nappa leather. It also has a stacked heel, which makes it more comfortable than a stiletto heel, and the bottoms are rubber, so I can walk around without fear of faceplanting on the sidewalk. They are also SUPER comfortable. They look great with a pair of jeans, or dressed up with a skirt or black slacks. I love versatility :-)

Okay, no more shoes for a while. I've had about as enough as I can stand, and now that snow will be a permanent fixture on the sidewalks and streets for the next two months, my Uggs are just about all I wear every day. Brrrr!

OPI Designer Series Reserve

In case y'all couldn't tell, I love OPI's Designer Series and am on a serious mission to collect them all!!! :-)

OPI Designer Series Reserve




I thought I would like this one more than I did. In the bottle, it looks like a super pretty light-pink rose color, but it just didn't sparkle and shine on my nail the way I thought it would :-( It is still pretty though. Application was great, and 2-3 coats was all that was needed. I would wear it again, I think. Probably in the summer.

Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" is playing on the radio right now. I loooove this song. Actually, I love all Lady Gaga. As a person, she's a little eclectic for me, but her music is badass. I need to make a mental note to download this song on iTunes later, and her new single with Beyonce, "Telephone," also.

OPI Over The Taupe

I hope everyone had a fabulous New Year! Time to kick off another year of pretty polishes :-)

OPI Over The Taupe




I've loved this polish ever since I first saw other people swatch it. I knew I had to get it! I am normally not a huge fan of cremes, but the brown/mushroomy color of this one is irresistible. Application was OK, but not great. It was a tad on the watery side and took three coats to get it to look halfway decent. I probably could have used one more coat to cover any bald spots, but I don't like spending an insane amount of time doing my nails, so I stopped at three coats, which is about my max before my ADD kicks in... haha.