Zoya: Brigitte (Naturel Collection)

Hi everyone! I hope you're having a nice weekend. Hubby and I will be cheering on the 49ers tonight! Who do you want to see in the Super Bowl?

Today I want to show you Zoya's Brigitte, which is from the Naturel collection. It's described as a full coverage mauve creme. While the formulas was great on this one, the color just is not for me. I just think there's something about the way the color looks on my skin that isn't right. Otherwise, it's a good polish, like most of what Zoya has to offer. I used two coats for full opacity with this one, which is great since the color is pretty soft.  Not every color can work on everyone, and that is ok!

Don't mind the smudge on the pointer. I hit my nails on the camera! Oops! 

Have you tried this one? Does the color work on your skin tone? I would love to hear your experience with this one! 

Disclosure: This product was provided by PR for review purposes. All reviews are 100% honest and done at my discretion. For more information please see my Disclosure Policy. 

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Essie: Lady Like

Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well today.  I wanted to show you all Essie's Lady Like because I mentioned in my Demure Vixen post that they were very similar.  Hopefully you'll see the similarities I did.  I think Lady Like has the same grayed mauve color that Demure Vixen has but it lacks the purple micro-shimmer.  It's an understated professional color that I think many people can pull off. 

Formula was nice on this like all Essie's seem to be for me. I had no issues with streaking or balding and it was opaque in just two coats which is always a plus in my book!

Here they are side by side. Demure Vixen appears lighter only because that photo was taken with a flash to show the shimmers. The base is seriously identical:

Which do you like better?

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Essie: Demure Vixen

It's just another Manic Monday! Today I have an oldie but goodie. This is from last winter, I think, but I just got it now. It's never too late to pick up a pretty polish!! This is Essie's Demure Vixen which is a light grayed mauve with a subtle purple microshimmer. The shimmer is understated but really makes the color something unique. I think this is a really chic, work appropriate color.  I think it will work for tons of skin tones too, especially darker skin tones. Though some might think it's too drab but I personally love it.

The formula was nice. I usually love Essie's formulas and this is no exception.  I used three coats for the opacity shown though I think I could have gotten away with two. It went on smoothly with no streaking or balding whatsoever.

So what do you think of this one? Pretty or too plain?

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Essie: In Stitches (The Fall Collection)

 Happy Wednesday all. I hope you're all having a great week. Today I have a color from Essie's fall collection to share with you. This is In Stitches and it's a typical work safe pink creme.  It's nothing exciting but it might be a staple for those of us who work in a conservative office as it's not offensive to the boss! I think it'd be good for an interview as it's not distracting or bold.

I found the formula on this one to be nice. I had no issues with application and it was not too thick to work with like some of Essie's lighter colors like Van' D Go.  I think this is well formulated and I don't have anything to complain about.

Not sure there's much else to say about this. It's nice, safe for work but not ground breaking in any way. I'd say if these are your type of colors then it's a good investment. Otherwise get Sew Psyched and Merino Cool from this collection instead, they're more interesting and fun! 

Disclosure: This product was sent to me by PR. All reviews are honest and done at my discretion. Please refer to my disclosure policy at the top of the page for more info.

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Barielle Shades: Tight Knit

Happy Friday! I hope you're all doing well. Today I want to show you another beauty from the Barielle Shades Style in Argyle collection called Tight Knit.

Tight Knit is described as "a purple brown creme" and I think that is an accurate color description. The reason I love this color so much is because it's brown but sort of mauve so it's really cool to look at and matches everything. I love it.

The formula, like the others in this collection is fantastic. I am so impressed with the polishes in this collection. They apply so simply with no mess and have fantastic shine to them. A++ in my book!

Gorgeous or what? I love it.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway before October 1st.

Disclosure: This collection was furnished to me by PR for consideration. All reviews published on this blog are at my own discretion.

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OPI: Tickle My France-y

While shopping at some random salon shop in a local mall I picked up the OPI "Jade is the New Black" and this beauty. I spotted "Tickle My France-y" in a basket on a table by the door. Could it be? Clearance polish? I looked all around for the price and when I couldn't find it I finally asked the woman behind the counter. "$1.95" she said! $1.95? No way!! This store sells OPI for $6.95 (a decent price). I was so excited. This is a color I contemplated purchasing for some time now. So I had to go for it. Unfortunately they didn't have anything else exciting in that bin but hey, beggars can't be choosers right?

"Tickle My France-y" is a gorgeous nude/beige/pinky creme. I think this is a fantastic "mannequin hands" type color and it's downright perfect for a conservative office environment or a job interview. I am actually kicking myself for not picking up a few more of these to have on reserve in my collection for that wonderful day when I FINALLY get someone to hire me as an attorney. Oh well, there's plenty of neutrals in the sea. This one is nice because it reads pink, nude, taupe and mauve all at once which is a pretty interesting quality for a creme.

I needed three coats for opacity but that was expected with a color so muted. I didn't mind. The formula was nice and as always I hate the wide brush. Application was not painful though so it's all good.

What do you think of this color? Do you own it? Do you want it? Let me know!!

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Orly "Pure Petunia" from the Spring I 2010 Bloom Collection

Good afternoon readers. Today I have a great purple/mauve color to share with you. Please excuse the condition of my nails. While I was away the poor things were pretty neglected and I suffered a few breaks. Nothing that won't be back to normal soon though.

Orly's "Pure Petunia" is a pretty creme mauvey/magenta-esque purple which is part of the Orly Bloom Spring I 2010 collection. The polish is on the thick side and super pigmented. Nearly opaque at one coat but I did two in order to smooth out my application. Application was pretty easy with this polish, I found it easy to work with. Orly has a thin brush which you either love or hate; I love it.

I think this is a nice color for spring. I feel like it is also work appropriate and even suitable for a job interview. I know sometimes I struggle with what polish to wear on an interview (I just finished law school and I am trying to snag my first job as an attorney so no ne and I think this one is a suitable choice. It's not ultra-conservative but it is not too bold either.

You can get this polish at Sally Beauty Supply for around $7.50 or at Transdesign for $3.19 each. What do you think of "Pure Petunia"? Do you have any favorite polishes that are similar in tone? If so, let me know in the comments.

Have a wonderful day everyone and as always thank you so much for reading.

Disclosure: "Pure Petunia" was furnished to me by Orly for consideration. All reviews published on this blog are at my own discretion. Please refer to my Disclosure Policy.

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I'm Back & Goodies from Sweden.

I am back from Disney World! I had a blast with my friends but boy was it COLD! In the 30s (F) in Florida, INSANE!! We had layers of clothing and gloves and we were still cold! It was fun to watch the fireworks with blankets and hot cocoa though.

This was the first time I'd been to Disney since being married there January 5, 2009 and it was nice to be there! I just love Disney World! I missed by hubby but I survived LOL. I got home and was greeted with a wonderful surprise from my husband! He completely remodeled our bathroom and painted our kitchen. It was such a nice thing for him to do. I just love how everything came out. What a sweet guy huh?

When I arrived home I was also greeted with a package all the way from Sweden which I was excited to get. I had won the Nail Nerd's Viva la Diva contest and the package contained the prizes. Thanks so much Anna for the great polishes and the yummy candy! As you can see in the photos I totally could not wait to break into that candy! Yummmm!!





Be on the lookout for swatches ASAP. I am currently wearing the green which is a great color. I am impressed with the formula. Thanks again Anna for the opportunity to try a product I cannot get here in the states!

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Pure Ice "Taupe Drawer" Two Colors, One Name

Two polishes, the same name, completely different colors. Both of these colors are from Pure Ice (available at Walmart for just $2 each), and both are named "Taupe Drawer". I thought it would be nice to give you all a comparison photo so you can see the extreme difference between the two versions.

I love both colors they're gorgeous! One is a light neutral pink color that I think is perfect for the office, job interviews or any other situation where conservative is the norm. The other is a really pretty purple/blackberry-ish color. Neither is taupe to me but "Taupe Drawer" is the name of both.



Both, in my opinion, are extremely high quality formulas. I love how these apply. Smooth, no streaks and opaque enough in just two coats. For $2 it amazes me that these are some of my favorite polishes, they're really a pleasure to apply.

I know I have seen the darker version, 966, in stores recently, but I cannot recall if I have seen the lighter pink, 920CP, in stores. I will have to check next time I make my way to Walmart.

I do hope this post helps those of you who thought they might have seen two versions of the same color. You're not crazy, you did!!!

920CP is on the ring and pinky fingers, and 966 is on the pointer and middle fingers. As always click photos to enlarge.





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Misa: Runway Diva

So I was all ready to get into the Christmas spirit with a nice fresh manicure of China Glaze's Emerald Sparkle when I got a call from an employment agency to come down and register with a recruiter. I figured if they were going to help me find employment as an attorney I better show up sans glitter and looking a touch more professional, eh? So I got out a mauve-y pink color in the form on Misa's Runway Diva.

I fiddled with the camera settings and took these photos outside in the sun with no flash. I think these are much better quality than my last swatch photo so from now on I think it's outdoors in the sun for me.

So what do I think of Misa Runway Diva? I hate it. I may have received a bad polish from Trans Design because when I received it it had a bit of polish on the outside of the bottle and the inside looked a hot mess. So keep that in mind if you've had a better experience with Misa.

This was my first Misa polish and a nightmare to apply. I am considering tossing the bottle. The formula was thick and hard to work with. The color is okay but I expected more. I saw some gorgeous swatches of this and I think it didn't live up to those images at all. The color is similar to China Glaze's Fifth Avenue, which is much easier to work with. I think the color is work appropriate. Nothing extraordinary.

These swatches are two coats over a base coat and finished a topcoat, FYI.


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