Limited Addiction

Hi guys!

Just a little NOTD for you today!

Red nailpolish is one of my favourite things in life. I love its universality and how it tends to look completely classic and sophisticated. My friend Christiana recommended this red to me awhile back and I'm glad she did!

The specs:

Name: Essie "Limited Addiction" 

Shade: A beautiful, deep, blood-red

Availability Status: This came out with Essie's Fall 2010 collection. It is therefore limited edition BUT is still readily available on the interwebz... I got mine from my most trusted e-bay seller

Application: Nice!

Longevity: Average, but chips will be quite noticeable as is always the case with red polishes

Yes, my nails have seen better days than the day this photo was taken. But still, look how pretty!

Would you/do you rock reds in the summertime???

Love,

Laura xo

Shorts Story; Shorts Blog

Rather than beginning this post with the obligatory excuse for why I've been so M.I.A., I'll just say that if you follow me on Twitter you probably know that I've had a lot going on and you may also have some insight into why I wasn't able to post last week.

But seriously, on to the mindless stuff.
I have a pretty nailpolish to show you. Pretty, that is, if you're into almost sickeningly feminine, vibrant, medium Barbie-pinks. Naturally, it was love at first application for me.

The specs:

Name & Brand: Shorts Story; OPI
Application: Smooth, easy to work with
Longevity: Decent, average
Shade: This is more subjective, of course, but in my humble opinion it is nothing short of fabulous

I had heard horror stories about the application of this nailpolish prior to my purchasing it, but I'm pleased to report that was not my experience with the polish at all - and I'm rather picky when it comes to nailpolish formulations. Mostly because I make a terrible manicurist. No joke, I could definitely benefit from taking some sort of remedial nailpolish class. 'Nailpolish Application for Dummies' or something of the like.

For reference, the above photos were taken with flash photography (at night, as per usual) and I've applied two coats. Underneath I have applied my favourite base:

And then I finished it all off with favourite topcoat:

Recently I've discovered another basecoat/topcoat that I've been loving as well. But more on that later....

What do you think of OPI's Shorts Story? Is it a colour you'd dare to wear? Also, what is your favourite topcoat and basecoat?

Love,

Laura xoxo

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Crazy Week, Pretty Nailpolish

Phew! What an overwhelming, crazy week this has been! A lot of pretty big changes have occurred in my life over the course of just a few days and those changes will surely result in me becoming an even busier girl than I have been.

Which is yet another reason why I love delving into the world of beauty/fashion. It's a bit frivolous and provides me with a chance to escape from all the seriousness of life. I'm certain that's something we all can appreciate.

So in light of my intense, arduous week (and the one that's ahead) I've decided to grace you (haha) with yet another care-free NOTD post:

This is Zoya's "Adina" nailpolish, which was released with the Reverie Collection for Spring 2010. This purple-green duochromatic polish caught my eye several months ago but as it is with most products, I wanted to do a bit of research on it before I decided to purchase it for myself.

What I found through my research is that the polish was named after a beauty blogger, and she can be found over at Krasey Beauty. While I knew straight away that this was an incredibly unique colour (I've never seen anything like it in my life) I did read some reviews  which stated that the polish has an abnormally long dry-time on the nails.

Fortunately, I did not find that to be true for me. The dry time was okay but that could very well be a result of me having time to waste when I applied it.

You guys, just look at it! LOOK AT IT! Isn't it lovely? Isn't it special? Application was good (no surprises there - it's Zoya) and I would consider the longevity of the polish on the nails to be average.

If you're looking for something different, something eye-catching and interesting, I would recommend this in a heartbeat! Zoya has such a great range of nailpolish colours to choose from. They tend to create things that nobody else has thought of, and I like that.

The writer of another review I read discussed how she wanted "Adina" in eyeshadow form. I could not agree more. Dear MAC, you listening?

-Laura xoxo

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NOTD: OPI "Pompeii Purple"

Hello again,

I'm coming to you today with another NOTD:

This is OPI's "Pompeii Purple." At first I had trouble figuring out why on earth they would label this colour as being purple - but now I think it might be because of the blue/violet flash, which is actually quite prominent, especially in certain lightings. I've been really loving duochrome and blue/violet flash polishes lately, so it didn't take me long to decide that this particular one deserves a home in my collection.

"Pompeii Purple" actually looks very much like another polish I purchased at around the same time, which is Essie's "Jam 'n' Jelly." I haven't gotten around to applying that one just yet, but when I do I will be sure to post comparison pictures here! (In the bottle they look nearly identical).

I have to say, this colour is just so bright and uplifting. The application is great and with a good base- and top-coat the longevity is good as well. Some people, of course, say this is a polish best reserved for summer. Personally I think it works just as well in the dead of winter as a cure for the winter blues!

If you are looking for a little pick-me-up at any time of the year and you don't mind adding a bit of boldness to your fingertips, you might want to give this one a try! It really is a stunning colour.

Would you wear a colour this bright/bold in the winter?

Would you wear it at all?

Love,

Laura xo

Read My Palm

This is the lovely "Read My Palm" (no applicable coloured text available - my apologies) from Sephora by OPI. The Sephora website describes this as an opaque light jade green, but I would say that on me  it leans a little more towards turquoise. The gorgeous colour of this grows on me more and more each time I look at it. I just love the way it flatters my short little nails.

Because the application, opacity, and wear are all good in addition to the colour being beautiful, this is quickly becoming one of my favourites. "Read My Palm" is limited edition, though, so if you're interested in it I wouldn't wait too long to add it to your shopping cart!

I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with the whole range of Sephora by OPI nail polishes. They have some of the most beautiful colours out there, and the quality is nice as well.

So, what do you think? Is this a colour you would wear?

What are your favourite Sephora by OPI nail polishes?

Love,

Laura xo

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Feelin' Minty

Hello dear readers,

Today I come to you with one of my favourite nailpolish colours ever: The infamous "Mint Candy Apple" by Essie. I feel like you'd be hard pressed to find a nailpolish lover who doesn't have this baby in his/her collection, as it's quickly becoming a classic.

This polish has the ability to transform nails into something of a work of art. It's unusual and it's sophisticated. I know that this polish came out with Essie's Winter of 2009 collection, but when I like something I like something - whether it comes from 1932 or 2011.

As is the case with most Essie colours of the pastel variety, I find the formulation leaves something to be desired. This is a colour I have to be very careful with when applying. In general I value instant gratification - with nailpolishes that translates into something I can quickly slap on the nails to admire right away. For me, application of this polish takes patience. Perseverance, even. But oh, how it's worth it. I give it a 4.5/5.

So, do you own this colour? If yes, do you love it as much as I do?

If no, why not?

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Purple is my Happy Colour

The other day I decided to venture into my nailpolish collection and wear something I hadn't worn in awhile. I looked beyond the OPIs, the Essies, the China Glazes, even the Revlons, and feasted my eyes upon this beauty:

Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri fast dry nail colour in Pronto Purple. Our love has been rekindled. 

It's just such a vibrant, beautiful shade of purple that has pink and light purple microshimmer. It's one of those colours that I cannot not stop looking at once it's applied to my nails.

Not only do I simply love the way this looks, but it applies like a dream. Out of all the polishes I own I find this one has the smoothest, easiest application. The brush is fantastic - unless of course you don't like bigger brushes. Personally I like being able to coat an entire nail in one swipe. The really cool thing about the brush, though, is that it tapers at the end which makes it slightly easier to work with for people who have teeny tiny nails. The above photo is a comparison of the OPI pro-wide brush, and the Sally Hansen brush. The Sally Hansen brush is significantly wider. The OPI brush does not have a tapered tip.

As it is with most things in life, there are both pros and cons. The one and only gripe I have with this polish is that it chips like nobody's business. Granted, I did not use a base or topcoat, but I don't with a lot of my other polishes either. This one chipped within 24 hours and needed to be taken off within 48.

So, the price is on point, the colour is on point, the application is on point... but the longevity leaves much to be desired. It is for this reason that I give it a 4/5. HOWEVER, I don't expect my less-expensive polishes to wear as long as my higher-end ones, so the chipping is something I can kind of cope with!

Have you tried any Sally Hansen polishes? If so, what do you think of them?

Love,

Laura xo

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I Certainly Love Lucerne-tainly

Oh. Em. Gee.

And I rarely ever use that phrase.

This very well may have just made its way into my top 3 favourite nailpolishes of all time.

The name? OPI's Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous. It's from their Swiss Collection. And to be honest, the name is why I bought it in the first place. Not this past summer but the summer before I went on a backpacking trip through several European countries. When I went to Switzerland, I stayed in the city of Lucerne and was completely charmed by it. It's incredibly scenic, quaint, and it has the best chocolaterie known to humankind.

I always do my research on products before I buy them. I check out swatches, read reviews, check out more swatches... read more reviews...

After completing said research on this polish, I wasn't completely sold on the colour. But I bit the bullet and bought it anyway because I knew that everytime I wore it I would have good reason to reminisce about my short time in that beautiful city.

Well, let me tell you. Even the people in my life who stick entirely to neutral nailpolish colours complimented me when I wore this. But what's more is that I fell in love with it from the first swipe. It's this gorgeous, shimmery, foily, grey with an ever-so-slight tinge of green. And it stayed on my nails for days without chipping. That NEVER happens!

So, I am inclined to give this a 5/5. Perfect colour. Perfect application. Perfect staying power. Perfect name (after a perfect city).

Have you tried it? If not, what are you waiting for???

Laura xoxo

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"Red Brought out More of my Personality" - Bob Edwards

Due to my inability to keep a nailpolish on for more than one day (two, max)... here is another NOTD post for you!

Before I get into the dirty details, it has to be said that my unequivocal, undying love for nailpolish clearly surpasses my skills as a manicurist by a long shot. It's true. I am a terrible nail-painter. But at least I'm honest about it.

Now, the colour is the famed OPI by Sephora Personal Shopper. (((Like how I changed the font to the nailpolish colour there? Nice, yes?)))

This is the perfect 'true red' in my opinion. It applies smoothly and has a fair drying time. However, being the failure of a manicurist that I am, I always have to go back in with nailpolish remover and a Q-tip to "clean up the edges" after application of this one (can't take points off for that, though, since it's a shortcoming of my own rather than the polish itself!)

But, I don't find it particularly long-lasting either. While I'm definitely hard on my manicures, this one chips faster than Lays. ha, ha, ha. Ahem. Seriously though, it's a bit of a weakling of a polish in terms of resistance.

However, because it's a beautiful red and the application is nice, I give it a 3.75/5.

Unfortunately, it's only available at Sephora!

I actually featured this baby in my favourite nailpolishes of 2010 video on YouTube, which you can view HERE.

So, what are your favourite classy red polishes? Enlighten me!

-Laura xoxo

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A Little Summer in your Winter

Since it's only been, you know, two-thirds of a year since I last posted - I thought the most appropriate way for me to make my comeback would be to do a NOTD post.

Now, I know some of you will look at my polish of choice and shudder. Some of you may even roll your eyes in disgust at the fact that I'm so blatantly bending one of the unwritten rules of the beauty community.

Yes, I do it. I wear traditionally "summertime" polishes in the winter.

Case in point:

Polish: Essie's Van D'Go

Rating: 3.5/5

Van D'Go was one of the go-to polishes of this past summer for a whole lot of people. It's not hard to see why. It's this gorgeous peachy-pink sunrise kind of colour that has a brightening effect when applied to either the fingers or the toes. The three-and-a-half rating for this polish stems entirely from my love for the colour. Other than that it was an absolute horror to apply: streaky beyond belief and drying much too quickly for my slow-and-steady application pace.

So now, the question remains..... am I alone in my rebellion? Do you tend to stick to the typical vampy reds and deep, mysterious maroons at this time of the year, or do you branch out and wear whatever colour that happens to tickle your fancy at a particular moment in time?

-Laura xo

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