Fat Tuesday 2015

A couple of years ago I visited a dear friend of mine in New Orleans and fell a little in love.  I know the city has plenty of problems, but my when you first fall, you only see the good things: wonderful hospitality, delicious food and drinks, gorgeous architecture, beautiful old neighborhoods nestled in sweeping trees, a joyful, resilient people, and a deep, in the moment, love of life.  I was smitten.

So, on this, their day, I celebrate a little Mardi Gras hundreds of miles away.

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats Zoya Haven
*2 coats Zoya Logan
*1 coat Salon Perfect Champagne Toast
*Zoya Severine
*1 coat Out the Door

Haven is a beautiful, shimmery purple.  When I saw swatches online I knew this was one color I really didn't have and wanted for my collection and I am NOT disappointed!  Logan is a pretty dark green packed with gold shimmer.  There is no hint of nail line in real life, so I'm really surprised it's so pronounced here.  For swatching I guess you want 3 coats, but 2 is just fine for wear.  I added some gold holo micro glitter on top because you can't sparkle enough for Mardi Gras!

I added some gold polka dots and love them so much with Haven I kind of wish I had covered the whole nail.  My trusty Golden-I is M.I.A., so I used Severine, one of the Zoya mini mystery trio (totally disappointing, but it got me 3 other full-sized for $15, so I can't complain too much!).  The coverage was great, not much different from my other gold.  I preface this with the fact I am not a stamper, but it was easy and opaque and might be good for stamping too.

So there's my little love letter to NOLA, where the streets are now quiet.  Fun fact I learned: the only time bars are required to close in New Orleans is at midnight on Mardi Gras so that they can clear and clean out the French Quarter.  (I also learned that if you've made it to midnight on Mardi Gras you weren't doing it right, because most people begin "celebrating" very early in the day and are goners long before the stroke of 12)

Crumpet's 31DC: Rainbow

I'll keep it short and sweet tonight since it's later than I had planned.  I've been dying to try a mani like this one by Bregje at Oooh, Shinies! and decided to do a variation on it for my rainbow mani.

*1 coat Gelous base
*3 coats NYC Skyline Blue
*Zoya America
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Sun Kissed
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mellow Yellow
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Green With Envy
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blue Me Away!
*China Glaze Gothic Lolita
*1 coat Out the Door

I picked up Skyline Blue at Target on clearance (under $1!) and thought it would make a nice sky for my rainbow.  It's a slightly shimmery pale blue.  I had some dragging patches, so I went with 3 coats for evenness, but you could do 2 careful thick ones too.
I dotted on my colors, overlapping between nails a bit.  My only regret is that my base is darker than I thought, so Green With Envy doesn't have enough contrast to really pop.  Other than that, I'm liking this one!

Crumpet's 31DC: Film

I learned in college that I am more creative with more restrictions.  When my options are wide open, I drown in them.  This happened with today's prompt: "film."
I thought through a hundred different movies to try to use for inspiration.  I looked at pictures and manis of actual film.  I thought about film on things, like bubbles.  I started to stress, and that's not what this should be about!
So, I thought of what color/polish I wanted to use, and then made it work.

*1 coat Gelous base
*2 coats China Glaze Altantis
*2 coats China Glaze Gothic Lolita
*1 coat Sinful Colors Pearl Harbor
*2 coats Out the Door

I got Atlantis for Christmas last year after falling in love with swatches online (seriously, this picture does NOT do it justice--check out Scrangie).  I'm kicking myself for just trying it now!  The teal jelly base is packed with holo glitter.  I only did 2 coats because this will come off tomorrow, but would either layer it or go for a third if I were wearing it longer to cover the visible nail line.  Honestly, though, it's gorgeous and I'm totally over any bald patches now (which are far more noticeable in photos that real life) :)  This is a very gritty glitter, though, so I used 2 thick top coat layers and would probably add a 3rd tomorrow if it was going to stay on longer. 
I used Gothic Lolita, a gorgeous lavender almost-creme with a subtle shimmer for my accent, then added Pearl Harbor on top for a little added shimmer.

So, have you figured out what I did for "film?"

I went with my favorite movie as a girl (that I may still be able to recite every line of...): The Little Mermaid!

How do you narrow down idea when there are so many options?  I'd love your advice!

Halloween left-overs

I know, I know, you're thinking about Thanksgiving left-overs and I'm sounding a little out of it.  Well, I am a little out of it.  Between interning, class, and work, my time has dwindled.  With it, my li'l blog has been neglected.  Actually, my nails have too.  I haven't done too many interesting looks and often simply polish one simple color to keep them covered and neat.
But, here are 2 Halloween looks that I did enjoy, but did not get up.

 *1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener

*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Green With Envy

*Zoya Storm

*Zoya Aurora 

*1 coat Out the Door

Polka dots--easy!  I wanted witchy colors, and loved the holo sparkle contrast of the Zoyas on the cream finish of Green With Envy.

 

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener

*3 coats China Glaze Some Like it Haute

*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out

*Cover Girl Boundless Color Candy Corn

*3 coats Spoiled Vitamin C

*3 coats China Glaze I Herd That

*1 coat Out the Door

I tried to somewhat recreate a Christmas mani that I loved from last year, pattern-wise.  This didn't turn out as I really envisioned, but I love the glittery polishes, so I can't really complain.  As you an see, the orange Vitamin C is incredibly sheer (I really only did 3 coats of the others because I did one coat for each every time I added one), so if you love that orange shimmer, consider a base coat.

So, here's my out of season Halloween looks!

33 DC: tape

So I'm a little late on this one, but I felt better when I saw that none other than Ms. Debbie Crumpet was late too :)
I had this mani done last night but was just too wiped out to photograph, upload and post.  Learning takes a lot more energy than I remembered!
Tape is quickly becoming as comfortable for me as dots.  I received my first roll of striping tape in a giveaway and it has lasted forever!  I think I'm going to order some more, though, because I love using it and want to try using it on its own as well, instead of just for clean lines.  I used to always use Scotch tape for lines, and it works okay, but striping tape never lets any polish seep under and is just so crisp!  Using it for this look has become a bit of a favorite of mine:

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Zoya Aurora
*Zoya Storm
*1 coat Out the Door

Really, these can just speak for themselves!  Gratuitous  holo shots are always welcome, right?  I used Aurora as my base and taped off the tips and then left a little gap before taping off the bottom of the area I polished, and then used Storm as the tip.  LOVE it!

I don't want to get too cocky here, but I'm feeling pretty comfortable with striping tape at this point.  Do you have any cool tips or techniques for me to try?  Do tell!

My momma's birthday!

My mother is pretty spectacular.  I may be a little biased, because she's the one who gave me life, but she is objectively beautiful, talented, artistic, loving, and strong.  Today is her birthday!  I had big hopes for this one, and because she's my mom I'm sure she'll say she loves it, but it's not quite the masterpiece I envisioned.  So it goes.  I tried my hand at a little nail art just for her!

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Hardener
*2 coats Color Club Fashion Addict
*2 coats Wet 'n' Wild French White Creme
*China Glaze Gothic Lolita
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mellow Yellow
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Bubblegum Pink
*1 coat Out the Door

I tried a little cupcake for her!  She is an amazing baker and always made the most delicious, creative cupcakes and cakes for our birthdays.  People still beg for her frosting recipe and I'll never forget the little Easter egg cupcakes she made for my birthday one year. 

I used Fashion Addict for my nails--this is a beautiful, subtle lilac indoors and a stunning scattered, almost-linear, holo in the sun.  If my nails were cut short, this would be a one-coat polish, but I added a second to ensure nail lines weren't visible.

I used French White Creme for my cupcake frosting and base, adding Gothic Lolita for the wrapper to go with the Fashion Addict purple.  I added sprinkles with Mellow Yellow and Bubblegum Pink and a red rhinestone cherry on top. 
So, happy birthday, mom!  You are always on my mind and now on my fingers.  This one is just for you!

It's My Year

I've been on a cleaning kick recently.  This is partly due to my new found free time after losing one of my jobs.  It's partly due to my parents doing a major clean and purge of our home 600 miles away from me.  It's also largely due to a marathon of "Hoarding: Buried Alive" on Netflix.  I was going through my polish and trying to organize and log it all.  I have actually not bough much polish since March or so, but I had a ton of polishes that I never tried (sort of like my bookcase full of books I haven't opened.  Yet!).  I keep my polish in drawers and cute photo boxes, but that means that I am really only seeing the caps when I look for a color.  I was a little hesitant to mark my bottles, but I used sticky labels to paint swatches of colors and punch a little dot for each lid.  Some (I'm looking at you OPI) were a little hard to neatly apply, but overall this has helped me so much when it comes to finding colors.  It also opened my eyes to some untrieds that I was truly missing out on!

 *1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*3 coats OPI It's My Year
*2 coats Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Golden-I
*1 coat Finger Paints Elves Bells
*1 coat Out the Door

 

 Forgive the tip wear--I have a habit of painting my nails at night, as I relax, and then going to bed.  In the morning, I often forget to snap pictures before work, so this was after I got off.  In real life, it was not nearly this noticeable!
It's My Year is one that I picked up on clearance at Ulta and never got around to trying on.  What a mistake!  That second picture is blurred to show how much sparkle is packed into this beauty.  The color is like a dark lavender, soft, and packed with golden sparkle.  I guess you might call this a foil finish, and it is radiant in the sun!

I added a gold accent to work with the warm shimmer in It's My Year. You can see how Golden-I, the gold base, is also loaded with shimmer for a foil finish.  I love Elves Bells, micro gold glitter with holo particles, and hadn't used it since Christmas, so I added a coat on top. 
Did you ever find a polish that you kicked yourself for leaving in the untrieds too long?

Mardi Gras!

One of my dearest friends has made New Orleans her home.  She graciously let me come visit a while back and I fell a little in love with the city.  I had decided to give myself a little rest and time when it came to my nails, and God decided it wasn't enough.  I had planned a couple of other Valentine manis for the past few days, but I got a nasty little cut right along my cuticle that I did not think would mix well with acetone...so, they'll come later (it's always the season for hearts and pink!) and today I'm showing a little Fat Tuesday love! 

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Cult Nails Flushed
*3 coats Julep Jennifer
*1 coat OPI Fresh Frog of Bel Air
*Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Golden-I and Purple Pizzazz
*Zoya Logan
*1 coat Out the Door Northern Lights

Last year I did something similar to this, but  with a ton more layers and pretty much the same effect.  I'm getting more efficient!  I used Flushed as my purple base.  This is really similar to the beloved Fantasy Fire, but not a dupe.  This is a lighter purple, not quite a lavender, that is packed with a magenta shimmer.  You can really see it in the first picture and on my pinkie in the last.  I love this color--it's just gorgeous when you see it in the sun.  If you don't have this one, it is well worth getting!

I added a thin coat of Fresh Frog of Bel Air over the top.  This is a small green glitter in a clear base with scattered silver hex pieces.  On my accent I used Jennifer, which is a pale peach that is a pretty good nude for me.  It is sheer and a cream, and I was sure I would hate it when I saw it in my box, but I've come to love it.  I used Logan, Golden-I and Purple Pizzazz to dot on some bead strands because Mardi Gras NEEDS beads!

I finished everything off with a coat of Northern Lights, a micro scattered holo glitter in an Out The Door top coat.  In real life, it shows up much more, but you can see it flashing in my pinkie.  I almost chose a clear top coat because these are busy nails, but there's no such thing as "too much" when it comes to Mardi Gras!  I'm excited to see these out in the sun tomorrow.  I need to decided on a Valentine mani or two, though, which is proving hard--there are way too many ideas I want to try out!  Anyway, enjoy a little indulgence today!

New 31DC: Inspired by my Country

I'm an American girl, for better and worse.  I'm also a born and raised California girl.  I currently live in sunny southern California, but I was raised in gorgeous northern California.  I considered some red, white, and blue nails tonight, but "country" sparked an idea for me.

I had the amazing good fortune to grow up in a small town in the heart of wine country.  It's funny, I thought about doing a skittle with redwoods and my high school and a starry sky (I really miss the stars, living in a big city).  I think I tend to have momentum--I did a skittle for the last challenge, so I think I need another one.  I'm glad I didn't though, because I like how this is simple.

 

*1 coat Yello-Out

*2 coats OPI Every Month Is Oktoberfest

*3 coats China Glaze Cowardly Lyin'

*Zoya Yara

*1 coat Out The Door

 

I used Every Month Is Oktoberfest for this one.  Perfection!  This polish is simply stunning.  It is a perfect deep purple for wine and grapes.  I NEVER get tired of this shimmer, either! 

 

I was going to use my go-to Fast Track for my accent, but decided to use Cowardly Lyin' instead.  This is a very sheer shimmery gold with small glitter pieces in it.  I wanted something white wine-ish for the grapes' background.  Close enough to champagne, don't you think?  I used Oktoberfest to dot on grapes and then painted on Yara as the vine.  Now, you are in for a very special treat (sort of).  Meet my right hand:

I snapped that one on a whim, which is why the sides of my nails are a mess.  I liked how the grapes looked much better on this hand, and wanted to show them off.  Something funny happened when I did this.  I knew I would have a hard time snapping a picture with my left hand, and it was really awkward.  I did not think, however, that it would be hard to pose my right hand!  I am so used to posing my left, that I couldn't really hold the bottle well or move my hand right--so weird!  So, forgive the mess, but I liked that little bunch a lot.  For better or worse, I love my home so much and am proud of it.  I'm so happy that this one turned out so well!

New 31DC: Texture

I don't have as many tricks in my arsenal for today's challenge as other ladies might.  With no flocking powder or "caviar" beads or Fimo, I really had only one choice for a manicure with texture to it: the good ol' rhinestone.

 

 

*1 coat Yello-Out

*2 coats Color Club Wild At Heart

*2 coats Sinful Colors Snow Me White (ring)

*Hoof Lacquer

*1 coat Out The Door

I was trying to think of a cool design or color combo to use and was struggling a bit.  So, I decided to pick a polish first, then figure out the stones.  Wild At Heart is a polish that always surprises me when I wear it.  I know that I love it, but I forget just how much I love it!  I used 2 coats, but really you can get away with just ONE if you want to!  It is a dark purple polish packed with micro scattered holo particles.  It applies like a dream.  I can go on and on, but my words will fail it.  Just get this one if you ever have the chance!

For an accent, I used 2 coats of Snow Me White, a clean cream.  Then, using Hoof Lacquer, I dotted on clear polish for the rhinestones.  I used a thick coat of it over the top, and then a coat of Out The Door on each nail.  I will probably add one more to my accent nails to keep those little suckers on there.  Wild At Heart has a decently shiny finish, but adding a top coat just makes the holo that much more amazing. 

I'm pleasantly surprised with how well the stones match the color I chose.  We'll see how well these hold up at work tomorrow, but I've been having pretty good luck with rhinestones without using glue.  How do you do with texture on your nails?  Love it?  Hate it?  Found any cool products I need to try out? 

New 31DC: New Technique

I planned this challenge poorly. I painted my nails using a new technique last night, but what I really wanted to post was the removal, which I wanted to give some time to. I tried Elmer's Glue as my base last night under a glitter polish.

**Warning: There are some majorly stained nails in this post. NOT for the faint of heart!

 

This is the magical result or working very hard to peel off my polish.  I was so bummed!  I have been very good lately, but I love to peel polish off.  To a damaging degree.  When I get bored, I peel.  So, I was so excited to know that there was a safe way to peel!  It really did not work for me, though.  I did not notice a difference in wear, though, compared to my usual bases, which is good to note.

*1 coat of Elmer's Glue
*3 coats Maybelline Color Show Sapphire Masquerade
*2 coats Out The Door

 I wanted to really test this out, so I went with a glittery polish.  Sapphire Masquerade is a blue-purple tinted jelly base with micro purple glitter, larger purple hexes and scattered large magenta hexes.  I know I'm not the only person to mention this, but I find it so interesting that such big, mainstream brands have been taking strong cues from indie makers lately!  This was kind of a pain to use, but not horrible.  The first coat was really sheer and the glitter was sparse.  The second and third (you may only need two--I was being cautious) coats built easily, though.  This is a dense, chunky glitter, and comes with all of those problems.  While pretty, it dries really gritty (and fast, which was great!).  I used 2 thick top coats and still wanted a third, but I really like my nails smooth and glassy. 

 

I used an old polish brush, cleaned with acetone and water, to scoop out and apply the glue.  I didn't pool it on my nails, but I don't think I skimped either.  I waited until the white glue turned completely clear before polishing.  While it did not peel well, something very interesting happened when I tried to remove it.  I use one of those little pots of acetone with bristles to remove my polish (and I know, it's probably horrible for my nails, but they seem okay and it's so fast and effective!).  When I put my nail in and twisted it once or twice, the acetone gelled the glue.  Then, it was easy to push/peel off, almost gummy.  While this is not what I had hoped for, it was much easier than usual for taking off chunky glitter, so it wasn't a total waste.

Have you used a glue base for peel off polish?  Did I use the wrong glue?  Did I miss something?  Any tips to make this dream base work?  I'd love to know!

New 31DC: Saran Wrap

I went into today's challenge feeling a little cocky.  Maybe it is because sponging was so easy the first time I played with it, so I figured that this was the same.  It is, but it's not. 
A "Saran Wrap" manicure is, as I read in many tutorials, a dry base color with a new color painted on top.  While that top color is wet, use wadded up Saran Wrap to blot off color, leaving a sponged/mottled finish.  As I did my first nail, the OCD side of me instantly hated this.  A lot.  The polish came off too much and was too tacky.  I kept going and hated each nail just as much.  They didn't look like the cool examples I've been seeing all over.  As I looked at my fingers, I decided to go back over them using the less talked about method of dipping my Saran Wrap into polish and then dabbing it on.  This was much better, for both aesthetics and the side of me that needs to be in control. 

*1 coat Yello-Out
*2 coats Finger Paints Tiffany Imposter
*Spoiled Are Mermaids Real?
*1 coats Out The Door

I saw this mani by Jenny when I searched Saran Wrap manis on Pinterest and loved the look of a shimmer over a cream.  Actually, I loved the look of these two, but figured I'd try to add just a tiny bit of originality to my work (which is rare for me).  I love Shrimp on the Barbie, and Are Mermaids Real? is like a sister to it.

Tiffany Imposter is a cream whose name says it all.  While I think that this is actually a darker, dustier blue than the iconic original, it is pretty nevertheless (and a dupe of For Audrey).  I probably could have just used 1 coat, went with 2 to be safe.

Are Mermaids Real? is a pretty purple polish.  It is sheer, so it takes 4-ish coats to be opaque or a good base under it.  It's a darker, cool purple packed with golden shimmer.  That shimmer is the best part and I'm glad that it translated through the Saran Wrap!

As I photographed this and wrote this entry, I have come to like this look more.  I'm not totally sold on it, but I'm very willing to give it another go.  So, have you tried the Saran Wrap method?  Was I missing something the first time through that makes it more awesome?  Because I like the look of it after dabbing much more (which doesn't look a whole lot different from sponging). 

New 31DC: Purple

Not long ago I went through a purple phase--not wearing, but apparently buying.  I don't know what sparked it, but suddenly I realized that I hadn't bought anything but purple in a while.  It was odd.  I wanted to take tonight to swatch some newbies, but also wanted to do more than a simple coat or two (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with that!  I can get too caught up in "art" or accents or layers and forget often how pretty my polishes are all on their own!).  So, I went with some dots!  This was an inspiration for today.

*1 coat Yello-Out base
*2 coats Zoya Aurora (index, middle and pinkie)
*2 coats China Glaze Gothic Lolita (thumb and ring)
*1 coat Out The Door

I have never done a double accent yet, but decided to go ahead and give it a try.  It's only for one day, right?  Why not!

I used 2 coats of both Aurora and Gothic Lolita for my bases.  Aurora was the darling of the Ornate collection.  I don't know that I am quite as in love with her as others are, but it is a beautiful polish!  It is a warm, deep purple with scattered micro holo glitter/shimmer.  Gothic Lolita is a lighter purple, not quite lavendar, that appears to be a cream but has a subtle, lovely blue shimmer to it.  Both polishes provided good coverage in 2 coats.

I used a medium dotting tip to alternate dots on the nails, Aurora on Gothic Lolita and visa versa.  I was worried that there would not be enough contrast until I saw the photos.  I really like how the dots look with these two!  I sorta wish that I had used a slightly larger dot and done fewer, but that's not a big deal. 

I think that I even like the double-accent look.  I don't know how I'll feel when I try it with colors that contrast more, but I haven't written it off.  Do you do the double accent?  Change up the nail you use?  Hate the trend all together?

Good riddance, 2012!

I'm now "home" after a wonderful week at Home with my family.  I didn't do much polishing, and what I did do I didn't photograph.  Sorry!  But know that I did have a super-cute Christmas mani (China Glaze Champagne Kisses with Zoya Logan for holly leaves, red rhinestone berries, and a Christmas tree accent, kind of a mash up of many of my previous Christmas looks).  I wanted to do something fun and festive for New Year's Eve, even though I'm all by my lonesome, but was overwhelmed with possibilities.  So, I decided to do what my momma wanted: dark purple with silver glitter.  My momma's kind of the best.  She has been getting into nails lately too, and she said her students love it when she does.  This is what she gave me, all individually wrapped in a big box:

Out of control awesome, right?!  She went through my "want" tab and found a ton of them!  But now she also knows how much some of the things I waste my money on cost...hmmm.
So, I'm going with her New Year's Eve choices tonight.

*1 coat Hard as Nails Hardener
*2 coats OPI Vampsterdam
*China Glaze Fairy Dust
*China Glaze Techno
*1 coat Hoof Lacquer

I used Vampsterdam for the first time for this mani.  I only used 2 coats, and perhaps a 3rd would have made this darker, which was more of what I imagined.  It is a pretty polish, lighter on the nail than in the bottle, a deep raisin purple.  Like any OPI, the application is perfect and the coats build easily. 
I am still unpacking and catching up on some sleep, so I didn't dig out sponges for the glitter.  I just used the brush, concentrating the Fairy Dust fine holo glitter at the cuticle and stroking toward the tips.  I dabbed Techno on top, and then added just a little more thin Fairy Dust toward the tips.  I kind of wish I had sponged the glitter for better blending, but they are still super sparkly and festive!

2012 has been a crapfest of a year for me and my family.  I am more than ready for the clock to strike midnight!  2013: come at me!  I'll see you all on the other side with a brand new challenge (can I make it through another 31 days?) and hopefully a much brighter year.  Until then, be safe and I wish nothing but the best to you and yours as we welcome this new beginning!

Fantasy Fire comparisons

So, I have been sadly saving my teeny tiny bottle of Fantasy Fire.  I know--life is short, so wear the good stuff!  I think this needs to be my new motto.  Why spend money on polish just to have it to look at in the bottle?  What's the point in that?  I have just decided, right now, to wear this sucker and enjoy every sparkly moment of it!
BUT, because it is so small and hard to get in the US (hi international readers!  If you want to work out a swap in place of some outrageous prices this goes for, talk to me!) I have been looking for dupes/similar polishes.  There is one more that I want to nab (I just can't tell you yet because pay day is far off and I NEED this bad boy!  Once I have a bottle I'll let you know and then you can buy all you want!).  I do have a couple of polishes to show you now, though, that might satisfy a craving for this beauty!
Warning: there are a lot of pictures in this one.  I personally recommend that you keep going, but I'm putting in a page break in case you are tired of hearing about Fantasy Fire (but I can't image that's possible).  These are a bit messy because I was way too excited for clean up before my pictures in the little bit of sun coming through my window, but you really should click on the pictures for a bigger look at these lovelies!

Here's what I've got for you.  Can you guess which polishes these are?

Oktoberfest (a little late)

I needed a quick color change to replace by chipping moustaches, so I went with this new beauty from the OPI Germany Collection that I found for a pretty reasonable price on Amazon.  Every Month (really!) Is Oktoberfest!

Look at that plum sparkle!  Gorgeous!

I wanted something deep and fall-ish, so I figured I'd try this one out.  I used 2 coats, plus a base and top coat, for my initial mani.  That provided great coverage.  I think 1 coat was a bit too thin, but 2 was perfect.

I wore this to work before I could snap some pictures and had some tip wear, so I added a third coat on top before I took pictures to clean up my little mess.  What's really interesting is that, in this macro setting, you can see it!  That faint purple tip is not the polish's fault--that's just where it went over my nekkid little nail!

I can't get enough of that shimmer!  This polish is so pretty outside in the sun.  Inside, it is a dark prune color, almost a black or brown purple.  A lady told me it looked like chocolate inside.  Not that I have anything against chocolate, but...

This was meant for the sunny spotlight!  What do you think of this beauty?  Do you own it?  Have you found a good way to showcase that shimmer even indoors?  Let me know, because I'm a little in love with it!

On a semi-polish related note, on Halloween I was so excited that I had reached 700 views.  In the 10 days since then, I have blown past 1,000!  Thank YOU (yes, you sitting there reading these words right now!) for stopping by and showing me so much love!  It means so much, especially when I see the posts that you are viewing the most--my breast cancer awareness Wednesdays, my Movember manis, and my memorial nails for my uncle.  I cannot tell you how much that means.  THANK YOU!

Movember: In the Know

Here's another installment of my Movember series that started last week.  This also coincides with Polly Polish's Polish Days theme for this month!  The more awareness and support, the better!  Make sure that you check out all of the awesome ladies putting their time into this cause.

*1 coat Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener
*2 coats Zoya Skylar--light blue is the color of prostate cancer awareness
*2 coats Zoya Tru--"orchid" is the color of testicular cancer awareness
*1 coat Seche Vite

This week I wanted to represent both sides of the Movember movement.  Tru, the pretty purple flecked with golden shimmer, is my accent nail with another rad moustache from RLR Creations Nail Art for testicular cancer.  Here is some information from www.cancer.org, provided by the American Cancer Society:

*There are estimated to be 8,590 new cases diagnosed in 2012
*360 men will die from testicular cancer
*This cancer is not as common as many others out there, but 1 in 270 men will develop it and 1 in 5,000 will die from it.  That is still too much.




 Skylar, a dusty light blue with silver shimmer, is for prostate cancer.

*There are estimated to be 241,740 new cases diagnosed in 2012.
*In 2012, 28,170 men will die from this.
*In their lifetime, 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.  It is the second deadliest cancer for men behind lung cancer.
*More than 2.5 million men are living as survivors in the US today.
*Detection saves lives!  When found as "local" cancer (only in the prostate) or "regional" (nearby areas, non-lymph nodes) survival is nearly 100%!
*"Distant" cases where the cancer spreads to other areas, bones, or distant lymph nodes have about a 29% survival rate.
*The 15 year survival rate for men diagnosed is 91%.

 

 

The numbers really do say it all.  For prostate cancer, which can be caught in annual exams and PSA tests, early detection can be treated.  Testicular cancer can be harder to catch, and is less common, but can be noticed through self-exams.  The sooner you know what is going on in your body, the more options you have for treatment. It may be uncomfortable, embarrassing or scary, but regular exams save lives!  This may not be a "young man's" disease, but my dad is well below the average age of men (67, according to seer.cancer.gov).  On the other hand, the median age for testicular cancer is 33!  Listen to your doctors, but also feel empowered to speak up if you feel that something is not quite right.  You know you better than anyone!  While the odds may be a bit scary for facing this in your life, the statistics of survival are really hopeful--this can be beaten!

 

I'll be posting a bit more this moth, and would LOVE it if you would like to add to the mo-vement!  Do a mani, tell a story, spread the word!  Please link up your work to my gallery below (and the Polish Days one!) so that I can see and show off your work!  You are also more than welcome to grab the link and add it to your post!

 

 



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