Wet n Wild Night Prowl

            Rawr, it's Friday!! I'm so happy...this has been the longest week of my like whole life. And it got a little worse today, because my ceramics teacher caught me in my insubordination. What had happened was we were making teacups (damn teacups) and all of mine had little nail marks. I tried to smooth them out, but she caught me doing it, inspected my nails, and declared them too long. I don't have to get rid of them until next class (Tuesday), but I decided not to prolong my agony. I filed them down to nublets, and I guess that's how they're gonna be for the rest of the semester, amen. I'm a little sad, but on the bright side, they weren't long to begin with, so it wasn't as painful as it could have been. And I can finally grow out some staining and little corner cracks, and my nails will finally have a more consistent shape. Yay for silver linings. 
      After the massacre nail cut, I wanted to pour out a little lacquer for my lost millimeters, but that's a waste of product and moniez.  So I settled for wearing a dark nail polish, and chose Wet n Wild Night Prowl.

Night Prowl is a black jelly base with a ton of small, round magenta glitter. 

Sunlight, no flash.

Sunlight, no flash.

Natural light, no flash.

Sunlight, no flash.

Natural light, no flash.

Sunlight, no flash.

      I think black glittery polish can be hard. Sometimes, the base completely swallows up the glitter and it becomes a lumpy horrible mess. Or the glitter will kind of show through, but not really, so the look ends up being dull and a little messy. But Night Prowl manages to nicely avoid both pitfalls. I don't know if that's because the glitter is small, or because the base is jelly, or because of a combination of both, or maybe because of neither of those things. What I know is that even indoors and away from direct sunlight, the glitter is very obvious on the nail. And in direct sunlight, it really sparkles. Even the glitter that isn't directly on the surface is visible, which gives the polish a nice bit of depth. Finally, since the base is jelly, Night Prowl has that amusingly squishy look to it. The overall effect ends up being an attractive blend of vampy, sexy, and fun, which makes this more wearable for people like me, who don't know how to pull off that hardcore femme fatale look.

    Application-wise, Night Prowl was okay. The brush was fine and the formula wasn't horrible. It was pretty watery on the first coat, but was fine by the third. It dried glossy and slightly rough, so I put on two layers of topcoat, and that fixed everything. For $0.99, Night Prowl is pretty much a steal, and I'm glad I bought it. 

    That's all I've got for today! I hope everyone is ready for a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!  Do you have any plans? And what are you guys gonna buy? You have to buy sumfthin. ^_^

Prevail Glitz & Glamour

        Today, I'm wearing a polish that I bought at the beginning of the summer from Duane Reade. It's called Glitz and Glamour and is from Duane Reade's privately owned nail lacquer company, Prevail. But before I get on with the pictures, I just have to call Duane Reade out on their foolishness. Can you guys believe that they charge $6 a pop for those thingies? And for all that money, they don't even have the decency to make the colors unique. They totally stole almost every color in that display from Color Club and/or from some other company. Exhibit A:

Glitz & Glamour is a charcoal grey polish with alot of holographic shimmer. The shimmer is really um..coarse, I guess. Like, you can see the individual bits.

Sunlight, no flash. 

Sunlight, no flash.

Sunlight, no flash. 

Natural light, no flash.

Sunlight, no flash. 

Sunlight, no flash. 

       Now, I really like Glitz & Glamour. I'm a sucker for grey and holographic, so having both in one is right up my alley. And the application was really good. Formula went on like butter, and was opaque in one coat. I used two though, because nighttime and bald spots, blah blah blah. It also dried super fast, because I was in bed fifteen minutes after putting it on, and there were no sheet marks this morning. 

     But really...you could get this color for like $2.50 from Color Club. I want to actually compare them this weekend, but right now, they look awfully dupish to me. Maybe Glitz & Glamour is a bit darker.But anyway, the uncanny resemblance in itself wouldn't be a problem if this polish was $1-$3. But for six whole dollars, you can't sell knockoff polish. You just can't. It's not right. ;_;

    And in the display, I'm 99.9% sure I saw Electronica, Groove Thang, and some of the neons from the Poptastic Collection. Only they were in Prevail bottles and had different names. So I hope all the other nail polish companies are covering their papers, because there's a cheater in the class. And his name is Prevail. u_u

   That's all I've got for today. Have a great night, everyone!! 

China Glaze Strawberry Fields

            Good evening, everyone! Today, I'm wearing a color that I held out on buying for a really long time, China Glaze Strawberry Fields from last year's Summer Days Collection. I liked it and thought it was a pretty color, but I just did not get that omgigottahaveitnownownow feeling about it. So whenever I saw it on the internet or in the BSS, I'd put it in my basket, only to put it back right before checkout. I do the same thing with Watermelon Rind, Grape Juice, and Flying Dragon. But I finally got Strawberry Fields this summer, and at long long last, I'm wearing it. So here it is:

Strawberry Fields is a raspberry-pink (for lack of better description) polish packed with fine copper and gold shimmer. 

Sunlight, no flash. 

Sunlight, no flash. 

Sunlight, no flash.

Natural light, no flash.

Sunlight, no flash.

Sunlight, no flash.

     I like Strawberry Fields. It's a bright, rich and warm color, and positively screams summer. The shimmer has to be my favorite part though, because instead of being the kind that reflects light, it actually sparkles and brings the whole polish to a higher level. Application-wise, it was also quite nice, going on smoothly and easily.  Strawberry Fields built to bottle color nicely, being opaque by my second coat. The pictures are with three coats though, because I applied this at night and was scared that in the morning, I'd find some VNL.  

    Overall, I'd definitely say that Strawberry Fields is a great polish. It's super pretty, and is a wonderful pink to have in the stash. And I actually kind of regret waiting so long to get it. 

    But of curiosity, are there any colors that you guys want but are just putting off buying? And how come you're waiting? I do that all the time with other stuff, and I've been told it's strange, but I don't think so. Like they forgot to give me a desk chair for my room, and I still have yet to request one. I think it's because I'm lazy. ;_;

Maybelline Gray-T Glamour + Fauxnad and a Haul!!

           lol, today was interesting. I arrived at my first ceramics class about fifteen minutes late, and just my luck, she's the kind of teacher who is a stickler for punctuality. So she started hating me a little from the first second she met me. Then, she gave us a long lecture about proper studio behavior and said that we weren't allowed to have long nails. So then I started hating her a little bit too. I'm still gonna grow mine out though...I'll just do it in secret. *shifty eyes* But on the upside, the studio manager was really nice and friendly, and after classes were over for the day, I got to buy myself some nice things. And I wore a mani that I really liked, although someone called it depressing. But it's not. :(

I kept on Maybelline Gray-T Glamour for a base, and used China Glaze OMG to stamp on a floral full nail pattern (the one with the big daisy) from BM16. It was very easy and took about fifteen minutes from start to finish. 

Sunlight, no flash.

Sunlight, no flash.

I'm using my right hand as a model today because I messed up the left hand a little. So please excuse the shredded cuticles and chipped polish. My right hand be going through some thangs. 

Sunlight, no flash. 

Sunlight, no flash.

   I don't think it looks depressing...I like it! I like the grey-on-grey thing. And indoors, it was very subtle and elegant looking. It looked like a couch. And I like things that look like couches, because most couches are soft and nice. But as an aside, I need to find a backup bottle of OMG for konading. I knew I should have bought two bottles when I had the chance. 

  But anyway, after classes were over for the day, I went to CVS and Staples. At CVS, I found the Milani Liquid Metal and Haute Value displays (which I NEVER saw that whole time I was home) and the  These Are Regular Colors, but Just Throw Some Glittah on That Shit and Act Like It's New  Just Add Sparkle display. Here's what I got from each:

Milani Dress Maker (yeah, I had to do it) and Milani Molten Rock. 

These weren't on sale, so I really should not have gotten them, but they were the last ones in their respective displays. So I got them anyway. I'm waiting for a BOGO to go back and get Fashion Design, One of a Kind, and possibly High Fashion from the Haute Value collection. And from the Liquid Metal collection, I still want Metal Gear and Hot Metal. 

Revlon Galaxy (I was so excited to see it) and Revlon Belle. The bottom picture is blurred a little to show to major sparkliness that's going on here.

These were on sale (Buy one, get one half off) and in reality, I only got Belle to get the deal. I may return it anyway, because I already have New York Summer Hollywood Night, and I think they're exactly the same thing. Here's a side by side comparison:

From far away.

And up close.

So tomorrow, Belle will go back. I'm still deciding on whether or not I want to exchange though. Part of me wants to just get my money back, but part of me wants Star. So we'll see. 

And finally, I got some real storage for my babies! I've been keeping them in a cardboard box. Ideally, I'd like a small file cabinet or plastic stacked drawers to keep them in. One that can fit on top of my dresser. I still have a baby stash, so something small should satisfy my needs for a while. I found something that I thought would work in Staples:

It was $29.99.

And I was MAD, because just last week, there was a coupon for this item...50% off! But I was home last week, and our Staples didn't have this particular set of drawers. Man, our stores don't have nothing. :(

But anyway, it didn't work that well. The drawers are wide and deep enough, but there is this weird lip at the front of each drawer, and the lip topples over most nail polishes. Some shorter ones can stand up, like the ones in the third and sixth drawer. But most of them have to lay down. I briefly considered taking it back, but I'm going to hang on to it. Hopefully for Christmas or my birthday, I can find something better. And when I do, this will definitely come in handy for organizing other stuff, like cosmetics, toiletries, and school supplies. Yes, I'd keep them all in the same place. Don't judge moi. 

But anyway, with this drawer, the first three are tried and the last three are untried. And I had plenty of space in my trieds drawers, but I almost ran out in my untrieds. I had to lay some on top of each other, and turn some sideways for everything to fit. O_O

That's bad. ~_~

   Okay, okay, I'm finally finally done. Sorry for the novel, but I have so many thangs to share. ^_^

Ahaha, look at all the different emotions. It's like I'm schizophrenic. Have a great night everyone! 

Maybelline Gray-T Glamour

            I wish fall would come. I want the leaves to change, and the weather to get cool. I want to bust out my sweatshirts and boots, and I want the wind to blow. But I don't think I'll be getting any of that good stuff any time soon. Well..the wind might blow soon. There's supposedly a hurricane coming, and his name is Earl. I think that's such a friendly name for a hurricane. 
            Anyway, my desire for fall was so great that I decided to paint my nails a nice, fall-y color. I went back and forth a bit, but ended up with Maybelline Gray-T Glamour from the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Collection. 

Gray-T Glamour (G-T Glam from here on out) is a cool grey creme base with a ton of crystalline secret shimmer. The grey is hard to describe. It definitely leans a little blue, but the shade is hard to pinpoint. Indoors, it's definitely dark grey, but in sunlight, it lightens up considerably soo...idk. 

 

Sunlight, no flash.

Sunlight, no flash.

Natural light, no flash. 

Sunlight, no flash.

You can really see the shimmer here. 

Sunlight, no flash.

I just like this picture. ^_^'

        I'm ashamed to say it, but I really like G-T Glam. I admittedly have a soft spot for grey polish (it's just so unusual) but this is a really nice one. The grey is full and saturated, instead of being dingy or washed out. And it's dark enough to look nice on my skin (light greys look horrible on me), but not so dark that it's overtly severe. I think it would look great on many other skin tones as well.

       Application-wise, Gray-T Glamour was not so disappointing. It was a little...I don't know...weird to put on. Like, it was kind of thick? I can't explain it...but bottom line is, the formula didn't feel quite right. It kind of...stuck when I was trying to put it on. I don't know! But it was easiest to apply it when I loaded up the brush and did thick coats. G-T Glam took two coats to be opaque, but I used three to smooth out some places where it was a little streaky and uneven. Dry time was really good. Not fifty second good, but good. It was almost completely hardened by the time I was done taking pictures. And it dries darker than when you put it on.

       Even though I like the color, I have some complaints. I don't like that at one point, a poor bunny had Gray-T Glamour smeared on its poor skin. I also wish the shimmer had been a little more noticeable. And the price sucks. Full retail was $4.15. Call me a miser, but that's a little bit too much for this polish. It's cute, but not that cute. I waited for a sale and got it for $2.39, which is pretty much what it's worth. So if you get it, I suggest you wait for a sale. 

    And that's all I've got for today. Have a great night, guys!

OPI Merry Midnight

           Happy Saturday, everyone!! I'm a little pressed for time today because I'm packing to go back to school tomorrow, so today's post will hopefully be brief and to the point. I say hopefully because when the power of the rambling spirit compels me, I can't say no. But I'll try. 
           Anyway, I'm currently wearing OPI Merry Midnight from the Holiday Wishes Collection. Truth be told, I was saving it for winter, but I decided to crack open the bottle now that there's enough sun to really enjoy it. 

Okay...let's see...well, there's silver microglitter and color-changing blue glitter. When I turn my hand, it flickers between cobalt blue, turquoise, and violet. Then, there are mid-sized flakies that I think change color too. Most of the time, the flakes look like...orangey-red (lets call it copper), but sometimes, I see bits of yellow and green too. You can see a bit of what I mean on the bottom of the nail. And then all that good stuff is suspended in a deep red-based purple jelly base. Merry Midnight is definitely serious business. 

Sunlight, no flash.

Sunlight outdoors, no flash. 

Sunlight indoors, no flash.

Natural light outdoors, no flash.

Natural light indoors, no flash. 

Sunlight outdoors, no flash. 

Bottle shot.

Sunlight indoors, no flash.

      Even though I'm 99.9% sure that whoever came up with this color is/was at the time a crackhead (because like really...who else would make something like this?), I really love Merry Midnight. The base color is absolutely gorgeous, flattering, and perfect for winter. And of course, the flakies and glitter keep the overall look lively and interesting. Also, the application was nice and easy. The brush wasn't too wide or moppy, and the formula itself was fine to work with. I will admit that it's a little thin (pictures are with four coats of color) but it's completely worth the work and the dry time was good. 

       Additionally, I have to give OPI mad props for Merry Midnight. One of the problems I have with the brand is a lack of creativity and freshness. Even though nail polish should be wearable and pretty, I like to have some wonder and whimsy on the side. And while other brands give me both, OPI is almost always so damn blah.

 So I'm really impressed that they actually were able to come up with this concept. And I'm also impressed at the execution, because this could have easily been really ugly. It could have been like when you're working on your nails or makeup or your home or whatever, and you keep on trying to "jazz it up" and "make it your own", but before you know it, you're faced with a monstrosity of epic proportions. I've been there far too often...like every day of my life. And I know you've been there too. I know because I know thangs. n_n 

      But I digress. Bottom line is that it's awesome that they were able to do something so unique and busy while keeping it pretty-looking. So snaps for OPI. *snaps fingers*

    Okay, that's all I've got for today. I hope you guys are enjoying your weekend!! 

       

Boo!!

            Boo to global warming and to Mother Nature for unleashing this horrible heatwave upon my little corner of the United States. Why is it 92 degrees at 9:38 pm?!  And boo to me too, for neglecting my poor little blog. It's just been so busy around here...there's no time for anything anymore. But since I'm about to remove my current mani (I put it on for the Fourth of July), I thought I'd take a quick picture and share it. But be warned...I've been wearing it for three rough days, and it looks a hot mess by now. 

Indoors with lamplight, no flash.

The base of this mani is Orly Poison Apple, and I painted the tip with Orly Star of Bombay. Then, I fixed one clear star gemstone to each nail. I sealed it all over with one coat of Poshe, and that was it. It looked better right after it was done, and then I tried to refresh it the next day with another layer of Poshe. That one bubbled like mad, so now it just looks gross. 

     ...and that's all I got. I know it's lame as hell, but hopefully, I'll be back on a normal posting schedule soon. I miss painting my nails and writing stuff. Meanwhile, I hope everyone is doing well and staying cool and healthy if it's hot in your neck of the woods. And if it's not, then consider yourself envied. By me. :(