Don't Burst My Pearl

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Base Coat
Undies: OPI - Don't Burst My Bubble, two coats
Glitter: Maybelline - Precious Pearl (Jewels collection), one coat
TC: Seche Vite

Hmm.. I remember liking Don't Burst My Bubble a lot more the last time I wore it. I had a little trouble playing around with it. But then again, I've been out of my element for some time now. It's still very pretty.

And it makes a lovely undies for my pretty new snowy glitter! Sure, I have other matte white glitters, and I didn't really need to buy this one... but I don't think I have one with so many different size hexes, you know? Alright, any excuse to get a new glitter. With winter coming up, it's probably just a necessity. :P

Wear: Five days, peels and chips at four

Sweet on London

The Polish:
BC: None
Main: Nicole by OPI - Blue-berry Sweet on You (Gumdrops line), two coats
Accent: Zoya - London (Pixie Dust line), two coats
TC: None

I was going out Friday night, but my mani was peeling! I couldn't just leave it, so I removed everything but the accent and applied a quick texture. Excuse the dry cuticles and hands--like I said, I was in a hurry.

Wear: Five days, noticeable tipwear on four

Something Polar in London

The Polish:
BC: Sinful Colors - Base Coat (under all but accent)
Undies: Sally Hansen - Polar Bare (Salon Complete Manicure line), two coats
Glitter: Initial Lacquer - Something Simple, one coat
Accent: Zoya - London (Pixie Dust line), two coats
TC: Seche Vite (on all but accent)

Aha! I finally did it! I found the best way to wear Something Simple. All it needed was undies. And now it can shine! <3

This shot is blurry, but it shows the pretty iridescents better. And boy, do I love the mix of glitters in this polish. Those grey hexes are adorable, and iridescents are my weakness, of course.

Wear: Three days until peels. After the wear I've been having lately, that's kinda short... :/ I blame the basecoat.

Heavy Raindrops

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Base Coat
Color: Illamasqua - Raindrops, three coats
TC: Seche Vite

Note to self, I prefer Raindrops at two coats. At two coats, Raindrops is a lovely, sheer blue-grey shade that actually sort of resembles its namesake. At three, it just seems like any other creme. It's not an unpleasant color, but it's not the gorgeous Raindrops that I love. It seemed like it was patchy when I put it on yesterday, so I opted for the third coat. Lesson learned. Next time, stick with two.

Also, I got a remover pen from Sally's, but I've yet to use it because I'm so afraid of messing the whole thing up and having to start over, like I've done several times before with a clean up brush. Gotta suck it up and just try it one of these days.

Wear: Five days until peels

Calla Lily's Pirouette

The Polish:
BC: Revlon ColorStay Base Coat
Color: Revlon - Calla Lily (ColorStay line), two coats
Accent Glitter: OPI - Pirouette My Whistle, one coat
TC: Seche Vite

Soft, pretty Calla Lily. Sheer white that appears light pink on my nails, with a delicate shimmer. I added an accent of Pirouette My Whistle to mix it up this time, though it's hardly noticeable in real life and looks weird in pictures.

Wear: Five days, chips starting on day four

Lush Heaven

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Base Coat
Color: LA Colors - Lush Lavender (Color Craze line), two coats
Glitter: Revlon - Heavenly, one coat
TC: Seche Vite

Someone posted a picture of Heavenly over a nude recently, and it was so pretty that I had to try it. My attempt isn't awesome, but it works. (That's like a theme of my manis, isn't it? Hah.)

Let's start with Lush Lavender, since I don't think I have a picture of it by itself yet. It's not the most flattering color on me, definitely more of a yellow-leaning nude than lavender. It's sheer and shimmery and just a little frosty. I don't think I would ever wear it on its own.

Heavenly is pretty, but like most iridescents, it's hard to photograph. It also has a tendency to... I don't know how to put it... sink into the polish it's layered over? Somehow. And I never seem to remember to give the polish under it extra dry time before layering.

I'm considering whether or not I want to purge Lush Lavender. It's not a bad polish, it's just not awesome. And shouldn't I only have awesome polishes in my collection? We'll see how I feel after looking at it for the next couple of days.

Wear: Bah, I forgot to record this one. I wanna say that I removed it before it started peeling or chipping, though, because I didn't really like it on me.

Light as a Mammoth

The Polish:
BC: Sinful Colors - Base Coat
Main: Glitter Gal - Light as a Feather, two coats
Accent: Super Chic Lacquers - Mammoth, two coats
TC: Seche Vite

It has begun. Today was the first day that it was not possible to take nail pictures outside. Well, good ones, anyway. It didn't stop me from doing it, but they just didn't turn out well at all. Meh.

But these colors are soooo pretty! So light and delicate. I love them. <3 If only there was enough sun to see the holo...

Wear: Five days, chips on four

London Pixie

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Base Coat
Color: Orly - Pixie Dust, two coats
Accent: Zoya - London (Pixie Dust line), two coats
TC: Seche Vite

While planning, I had considered wearing Tomoko as an accent, but I wound up with London instead, and I'm so glad I did. They go perfectly together, and the combination is a perfect transition to fall. (Not that that matters much to me, since I just wear whatever I want, whenever I want. Just try an' stop me! Muahah!)

Sure, I could have gone with a third coat of Pixie Dust to alleviate a few little patchy bits, but that would have been at the risk of too many layers. Including top and base coat, four is just about perfect for me. Also one of these days, I'll learn to wrap my tips. Whatevah, I do what I want! :P

Wear: Six days to peels.

Whistling Blue Sands

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Base Coat
Main: Shimmering Sands franken, two coats
Accent: Sally Hansen - Something Blue (Diamond Strength line), two coats
Accent Glitter: OPI - Pirouette My Whistle, one generous coat
TC: Seche Vite

I've been in a bit of a polish rut lately and not sure of what to wear, so I just grabbed these ones kind of at random. Something Blue was more similar to my franken than I'd like for an accent, so I topped it with glitter. Not that the pictures show it or anything. Maybe PMW wasn't the best glitter over a sheer silver. Meh.

So I wound up with yet another merely acceptable mani. I mean, it's pretty enough, just not awesome. Oh well. I'll get back into the groove of things soon enough.

Wear: Four days until chips and peels that I couldn't help but pick at.

Catch Me Dancing

The Polish:
BC: Sinful Colors - Base Coat
Polish: The Lady Varnishes - Catch Me Dancing, two coats
TC: Seche Vite

Meh... well, this isn't what I wanted. I didn't have any thinner with me when I went to apply this one, though it needed it, but I was already committed to the mani.

But I'm not sure if thinning it would make it any better--I think I would still hate it. I wore it last over another polish (though still a sheer one), but it's still not great. (Zoh my goodness, that peelie in the link! Eeek!) Plus that "jasmine" scent is terrible. Bleh.

My instinct is to purge it immediately, but I suppose I'll give it one more chance. I sure was excited about it a year ago. *shrug*

Wear: Two days. I used my hands a lot on day two and chipped my polish immediately. That night, the polish on my pinkie nail peeled off in one piece. Usually a base coat that doesn't agree with one's body chemistry causes that, but I've used my friend's SC before without event. Huh. *shrug*

Celestial Dairy

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Base Coat
Jelly: Sephora by OPI - Dear Diary
Glitter: Revlon - Celestial FX
TC: American Classics - Gelous, Seche Vite

Sandwich went like this: one coat of SOPI, two fished coats of Celestial, one coat of SOPI, one coat of SOPI, one coat of Celestial (fished on ring finger), one coat of SOPI (two on ring).

Hmm... not sure this turned out like I wanted it to. I dunno. I was playing with layers and think I added too many. Nine coats (eleven on my ring finger!) are WAY too many coats for me, personally. I kinda just want to take it off immediately.

Wear: Three days to peels.

Adorable Bomb

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Base Coat
Undies: L'Oreal - B. Adorable (Bijou Facets), two coats
Glitter: LA Girls - Glitter Bomb (Color Craze), two coats
TC: Seche Vite

Just kinda threw this together when I wasn't quite sure of what to wear. It's not awesome, but it works. I should have taken pictures of B. Adorable by itself, since I don't have any pictures of it alone yet. Next time.

Wear: Peels on day four prompting removal.

Wrapped in Plastic

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Basecoat
Color: Hare Polish - Wrapped in Plastic, two coats
TC: one coat of American Classics - Gelous, one coat of Seche Vite

Wrapped in Plastic, from Hare's Twin Peaks collection, is a pale blue jelly with a mix of white and iridescent copper square and hex glitters and some teal-ish microglitter thrown in. I was soooo excited to put this polish on, you guys! It's so super pretty! My photos don't do it justice!

But what's this? Chips on day two? Huh. That hasn't happened in a while. I wonder if I should try a different base coat next time I wear it.

Wear: Chips continued to get worse from day two. Removed at day five.

Sidewalk's End

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Basecoat
Polish: Literary Lacquer - Sidewalk's End, three coats
TC: Seche Vite

Sidewalk's End is a medium grey linear holo, my first Linear Lacquer. Application was smooth; polish, sheer--just like I've come to expect with linear holos.

I debated for a long while whether to grab this one or not. It seemed like it might be a little dark for me. It is maybe slightly darker than what I normally wear, dark enough to look awkward with one or two coats, like I can normally get away with, but it's still pretty. I like greys, and I like holos, so Sidewalk's End is a winner. I think I may try it next time over a white.

Wear: Removed on day five with slight wear.

Blue-berry Sweet on You

The Polish:
BC: None
Polish: Nicole by OPI - Blue-berry Sweet on You, two coats
TC: None

Textures are so great when you just need to throw something on and go. Getting ready for a vacation, I didn't have enough time to put on a regular mani, so I had to go with a texture. Apply and go, yay!

Wear: Well.. honestly, because of vacation, I wore this for six days... even though it started to chip on day three and just got worse every day. Shhh, don't tell anyone... :/

Opals and Coconuts

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Base Coat
Undies: Colors by Llarowe - Coconut, three coats
Glitter: Colors by Llarowe - Opals and Lace, two coats
TC: Seche Vite

Guys, this is seven. SEVEN. layers on my nails. I can't. I can't even. There's no way this is going to last more than a couple of days. It's just too thick.

Opals and Lace is a gorgeous mix of matte white and iridescent hexes, squares, and microglitter. It's so gorgeous! I was second guessing myself while I layered it over the white, but it wasn't a problem at all. I assume this glitter's just going to be beautiful over everything.

Coconut, however, was not my cup of tea. I'm not sure why I went through a phase of "I like Tutu, so I should buy ALL the jelly whites!" when I could have just stuck with what I knew I liked. It and Leche are going in the swap box.

Wear: Removed on day 4. Lasted longer than I expected, honestly! Though I haven't been changing my polish often, regardless.

Food Fight!

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Base Coat
Color: Girly Bits - Food Fight (August A Box, Indied), two coats
TC: Seche Vite

Food Fight is a blue-grey, slightly red leaning crelly with small iridescent hexes and holo microglitter. It's the perfect rain cloud color--I just so happened to wear it the day a friend wore rainbow skittles, which made us both entirely too happy. :)

I wanted this polish so bad when I first saw swatches. I wanted it enough that I immediately went to the Facebook swapping groups and found someone with a box subscription that was willing to sell for $11, more than I typically spend on a single polish.

Turns out, it's a little on the thick side of a crelly. And a bit dark on me. So my poor application skills are apparent. I even tried to use the clean up brush again. No avail.

But you know what? I don't care. Sure, my pictures aren't as pretty as the other bloggers', but that's okay. I have a pretty polish, and that's what matters.

(Okay, I'm not actually sure who I'm trying to convince here, you or myself. Hah.)

Wear: Removed at five days with slight wear.

Glass Star

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Base Coat
Undies: Sinful Colors - Glass Pink, two coats
Glitter: Rainbow Polish - Shooting Star, one coat
TC: Seche Vite

Well, the plan was to redo an old mani and post new pictures, showing off my much improved photography and/or application skills, but that's not quite the way it happened. Turns out I'm not quite there, yet. Plus, it was overcast all weekend, and when I finally got a spot of sun, my polish had chipped. Hah, oh well.

I do like this combo, though. It's a little sparse, sure, as Glass Pink is probably meant to be a topper and certainly not undies for a glitter, but that's fine. Just another instance of my preferred look: princess nails. <3

Wear: Removed at five days with minimal wear.

Calla Lily (No pics)

The Polish:
BC: Sinful Colors - Base Coat
Color: Revlon - Calla Lily (ColorStay line), two coats
TC: Seche Vite

Ugh. No doing nails in poor lighting. Lesson learned. No pics because my application is too poor to show off. Like, really. I even missed SV on half of my thumb nail. What the heck, guys. -.- I actually have marginal pictures from before for this one, though, here. I believe it's only one coat in those pictures.

Wear: Removed on day seven with slight tip wear. I was itching to change it sooner, but I got busy with work and didn't have time. So I just had to deal with poor application all week! Meh, no one noticed, anyway. Just bugged me, is all.

Hallucinate

The Polish:
BC: Revlon - ColorStay Base Coat
Glitter: Wet n Wild - Hallucinate (Wild Shine line), two coats
TC: One coat of American Classics - Gelous followed by one coat of Seche Vite

Hallucinate is a simple iridescent glitter in a clear base. I've shown SH Disco Ball here, and it's very similar. The main difference I can tell is that, while the pictures of Disco Ball are acceptable, I could NOT get a good picture of Hallucinate. Grrr.

The last time I wore Hallucinate was a couple of years ago, back when I first started getting into polish. At that time, I didn't know how necessary it was to wear a good top and base coat, so I just wore Hallucinate on its own. It peeled after 24 hours, and I swore it off as being bad with my body chemistry. Now that I know better, I thought I'd give it another shot.

I know it's probably weird to most people (or most nail polish people, at least) to wear a glitter like this on its own, but I like it. Just another simple, princess nails manicure like I love! Too bad I can't capture it properly.

Wear: Six days to peels. Not only did this mani surpass 24 hours, it wore like iron!