Saturday, April 24, 2010

Earth Week Day 5: OPI Absolutely Alice

            Mkay, after a brief interlude, Earth Week is back on track! The blue that I'm wearing today is one that everyone and their momma has seen, OPI's Absolutely Alice, from the slightly disappointing Alice in Wonderland Collection. 


Absolutely Alice is a clear base packed with mid-range blue glitter and speckled with gold glitter. 

Natural light, no flash. There's no sun today, unfortunately. 

Natural light, no flash.

Natural light, gentle flash to simulate sunlight.


I wanted to see what it would look like matte, so I applied one coat of Essie Matte About You.
Natural light, no flash.


And then, I was still bored and procrastinating, so I applied one coat of Nfu-Oh 52. The pictures aren't really showing how this looks...it's so so beautiful. I'm definitely wearing this again.
Natural light, no flash. 


Natural light, gentle flash to simulate sunlight.

       My feelings about this polish can be summed up in one sentiment: if I were ever to meet Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, I would not know whether to give her a hug or to give her stank eye. Why?
     Because Absolutely Alice is gorgeous. It's so damn sparkly that when I wear it and walk in the sun, my eyes are constantly on my nails. I have crashed into strangers on the street because I was too busy being mesmerized by this polish to look where I'm going. True story. And, it's a really fantastic interpretation of the character of Alice...the gold bits were a great touch. Additionally, the formula goes on easily and gives great coverage, especially for a glitter in a clear base. These pictures are all with three thin coats. So yes...Absolutely Alice is absolutely gorgeous. It's better than Dorothy Who?. And if it were not one stupid flaw, it'd be perfect.
     Absolutely Alice does not get along with quick drying topcoats. I tested it with all the quick drying TCs I have, and AA just peeled off within a few hours of drying. That's good, if you only want to wear it for one day. But bad if you want to get some real wear out of it. I don't know how such a thing could be overlooked, because OPI has produced glitters in the past. Shame, shame, shame.

The tip for today is: don't wear fur or ivory! When most people think of Earth, they mostly think of the actual physical Earth, but don't remember the animals. But in fact, the health of the planet depends on healthy ecosystems, because animals are one way that nature moves materials and nutrients to places where they are needed. Healthy ecosystems in turn, depend on biodiversity, because every species (from the plankton to the shark) has a role to play. And when even one actor is removed from the stage, it's fully possible for the whole production to go to shit. Excuse my language. So when hunters are going into the wilderness and killing off elephants for ivory or snow leopards for their pelts, the ecosystems of these animals are being destroyed as well. Which does not bode well for the Earth. Plus, do you really want to tell your grandkids, "Hey, back in my day, we had these big grey animals called elephants?" or do you want them asking you if you've ever seen a cheetah? No...nobody wants that. So if you love the look of animal fur or ivory, consider buying faux. Especially with the innovativeness of the modern textile industry, I'm sure most people won't even know the difference.