Color Club Holiday Giveaway

Hey there, Dear Reader!

I was just doing a last check of email for the night, and a press release from Color Club just rolled in.  It seems they're participating in a giveaway that Amethyst Jeans is doing.  Here's the info about the prizes and how to enter:

Enter to win on of 20 holiday totes given away over the next five weeks! 

You and your BFF will each receive an Amethyst Jeans tote filled with a pair of Amethyst Jeans, shimmery lip glosses and a holiday set nail polish set from Color Club and a shampoo and conditioner set from Totally Texty!  

Contest runs from November 29th through December 31st, 2010. Go to http://www.facebook.com/amethystjeans to enter! Happy Holidays!

Color Club & Amethyst Jeans Giveaway: Click for Full Size

This time, I'm really done for the night (with 4 minutes left in the day, I feel safe saying that).  Until next time, love and nail polish to yu!  

China Glaze Midnight Kiss

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I've been neglecting my nails horribly lately, so I haven't had any pictures to show you until today, when I finally changed my beat up manicure.  I decided to try out China Glaze Midnight Kiss, the gold from their Holiday 2010 collection.

Midnight Kiss is a gold foil that was well pigmented, applied easily, and was good in two coats.  I think it makes my nails look like those 70's metallic ball Christmas ornaments - the ones that shattered into a zillion shards of glass if you looked at them funny, probably not safe by today's standards.  They were pretty though, and so's this polish.

China Glaze Midnight Kiss Nail Polish, Two Coats

That's just about all I have for you today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Color Club Snowflakes over Nubar Baby Blue

Good morning, Dear Reader!

Last night I decided to break into that bottle of Color Club Snowflakes from the Color Club Enchanted Holiday mini set, and the manicure ended up being one of those rare instances in which the finished product is just what I had in mind at the outset.  To refresh your memory if you didn't feel like clicking on the link, Snowflakes is the white glitter in the set, and my plan for it right away was to layer it over a pastel blue.

I started by selecting the blue for the base color, and I'd mentioned OPI's What's with the Cattitude when I was tossing the idea around.  It turned out that the OPI was a hair darker than I had in mind, as was Color Club Take Me to Your Chateau.  I settled on Nubar Baby Blue, the whitest pastel blue I had handy.  It's a good one for layering as well - it's super pigmented, so it's two thin coats with exceptional drying time.

I had the Nubar handy because I just stocked up on some staples and replaced some colors I've almost finished with their current sale, and I noticed that the new bottle of Baby Blue has a new brush.  Honestly, the brush might have changed a while back without me noticing, so I don't know if that's news (I try to pay attention, but when I'm swatching I'm looking at the colors more than the brush).  The new brush is a bit flatter and wider, and the cap it's attached to is different - the old had no rounding of the edge at the top of the cap, while the new one has the edge rounded.  I did like the old brush, but even though I didn't notice a difference in using the new one, the new seems to work better for me - my application was very thorough and tidy with little effort, so it seems the change is an improvement for me.  Anyhow, I did the two coats of Baby Blue.

As for Color Club Snowflakes, I was concerned that it may either (or both, for that matter) too white or too dense with glitter for good layering.  It is quite thick, but I found that in applying it, it was easy to spread it thinly and evenly for a good layer of glitter that did not alter the base color, and it shows pink, blue and white glitter.  It looked a little gritty when I finished, so I used two coats of Seche Vite (my thickest top coat) to smooth it out.  A few hours later, after the SV had dried all the way, it was still not smooth to the touch, so I added two coats of Barielle Manicure Extender.  Those last two coats of top coat were not needed, but they were the difference between whether the manicure I'm wearing looked exactly like what I had in mind or falling a bit short, so I added them.  Now it's glassy smooth and the glitter even sparkles by candlelight.

Color Club Snowflakes, One Coat, over Two Coats Nubar Baby Blue

The picture's by artificial light, which always washes out the sparkle of glitter.  It looks like that, only sparklier!

I'm still toiling away at my little domestic project, so I've only been changing my nail polish when it chips.  I'm really hoping that this one holds out for a few days, because I really like it and it's just right for the weather.  I think the pastel blue with glitter looks cold like winter, but not stark cold.  More like when it's 25° at night and snowing big fluffy snowflakes that melt during the day, not like a -10° January day with the wind cutting through your very soul.  It looks like the part of winter that I like.

So that's my Snowflakes manicure, and that's the update for today.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Essie Smokin' Hot

Good morning, Dear Reader!

This morning I tried out Essie Smokin' Hot from the Winter 2010 release, and I really like it a lot.  My first impression of it is that it's what I think Chanel Paradoxal would look like as a creme.  Smokin' Hot is a similar brown taupe with a little purple mixed in, and the color is really interesting.  It's really well pigmented, and two thin coats were all I needed.

Essie Smokin' Hot Nail Polish, Two Coats

That was short, but it's only 6:22 am so I have little else to tell you...  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle Gentle Blossom

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I was out and about this morning picking up a few things for this project I've got going, and I ran into the display for the new Nailgrowth Miracle line from Sally Hansen.  Most of the colors were pretty yawny, but I did pick up two.  The two I chose, I selected because the finish of each is interesting.

I got home and unpacked, then promptly decided that I've been working hard this week and I'm going to be a slacker today.  That meant there was no reason I couldn't try out one of the new polishes, so I did.  I used Gentle Blossom.

Gentle Blossom is a light mint green, a really pretty shade.  As I looked at it in the store, I initially passed because I couldn't see the shimmer well in the weird store fluorescent lighting, but a closer look convinced me it was a good choice.  The shimmer is odd - it's subtle, but really dense at the same time.  Gentle Blossom applied well with a brush like the one in the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure line.  In two coats, it was opaque but still a bit streaky, so I added a third to even it out.

Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle Gentle Blossom Nail Polish, Three Coats

The sunlight today is not very strong, but the shimmer still shows well.  Here's a closer look at the shimmer.

Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle Gentle Blossom Nail Polish, Closer Look

I think this is a really nice one, and I like it a lot.  Occasionally admiring it throughout the day will be a nice use of a slacker day.

That's it for today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Carolyn New York Greenwich Ave

Good evening, Dear Reader!

I just finished doing a new manicure tonight using Carolyn New York's Greenwich Ave, and I have a picture of it for you.  I hadn't planned on a new manicure tonight, but Chanel Riva chipped  like nobody's business today, so I really had to.

Greenwich Ave is probably my favorite green creme.  The formula is great and CNY's is my all-time favorite brush.  The only down side is that the company seems to have gone out of business, yet keeps their website up.  A while back I read accounts of CNY orders not shipping and getting no replies to emails, so I tried to contact my person there, who was excellent.  I got no replies to emails and her cell phone had been disconnected, so I assume they really are gone.  I mention this in case you're tempted to order from their site - if it's too tempting, call or email before getting charged for an order.

Anyhow, back to Greenwich Ave.  In two coats it's a perfect shiny bright weird green creme.

Carolyn New York Greenwich Ave Nail Polish, Two Coats

It's a shame that CNY seems to have gone away - they made wonderful nail polish and the people there were good.  

That's it for today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Chanel Riva

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

When Chanel Riva became available on Chanel's site this week, I was planning to pass on it.  But then they had free shipping and I haven't really gotten anything this month, so I sprung for it.  I got it today and tried it out.

Riva is a pale blue kind of jelly finish polish, and it took three coats to be reasonably even for me.  There are a couple of nails on my right hand that are a bit streaky, so it really could have used a fourth coat.  Here it is in natural light.

Chanel Riva Nail Polish, Three Coats

Having tried Riva out, if I could do it over again I wouldn't have gotten it.  It's nice enough, but not for the price tag.  I think Sephora by OPI's Havana Nights would be a reasonable substitute - not a dead on dupe, I don't think, but nothing's so spectacular about Riva that it needs a dead on dupe.

That's what I have for you today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Free Download Mp3 J rocks

J-Rocks adalah band dari Jakarta yang berdiri pada 9 November 2003 dengan personil Iman (vokal, gitar), Sony (gitar), Wima (bass), dan Anton (drum). Aliran band ini adalah Japanese pop/rock. Nama J-rocks sempat menjadi pembicaraan hangat di kalangan pecinta musik Jepang di Indonesia karena nama ini seakan mewakili genre Japanese Rock. 

Album Topeng Sahabat Track :

1. Lepaskan diriku 2.Entah bagaimana 3.Ku ingin kau untukku 4.Into the silent 5.Ceria 6.Topeng sahabat 7.Cahayamu 8.Berharap kau kembali 9.Selamat tinggal kekasihku 10.Mestinya kuakhiri semua 11.kono mune ni

Album Spirit Track :

1.Spirit

2.Kau curi lagi

3.Cobalah kau mengerti

4.Juwita hati

5.PDKT

6.Mestinya kau tahu

7.Saatnya ku bicara

8.Aku harus bisa

9.Semakin sendiri

10.Tersesal

Album Road To Abbey Track :

1.Intro (Road To Abbey)

2.Meraih mimpi

3.Hanya aku

4.Falling in love(english)

5.Falling in love(indonesia)

Color Club Enchanted Holiday

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

Color Club sent me their Enchanted Holiday mini set for review, and so I have pictures of it to show you today.  The set consists of four mini polishes, which are a green foil called Magic Elf, a white glitter called Snowflakes, a red glitter named Wish List Red, and gold glitter named Enchanted Holiday, as well as a little sheet of holiday nail decals.

Color Club Enchanted Holiday Mini Set

Here's a closer look at the decals.

Color Club Enchanted Holiday Nail Decals

I didn't get a chance to swatch these for you, so I'll just show them to you one at a time as I wear them.  I'm currently wearing Magic Elf, and this is three coats.

Color Club Magic Elf Nail Polish, Three Coats

Magic Elf is wearing well - I've had it on for two days that could chip any manicure, and it's holding up just fine.  The other one in this set that I'm eager to try out is Snowflakes, which I think would look really wintery and cool over a light blue like OPI What's with the Cattitude.

That's what I have for you today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

CND Teal Sparkle & Urban Oasis

Good afternoon, Dear Reader!

I just changed my polish, and I thought I'd give you a look at what I changed to.  I got CND's Night Factory duo from Trans Design, which has Urban Oasis and Teal Sparkle in it, and I decided to crack into the two of them.

Urban Oasis is a really good teal creme.  Though not the most unique shade ever made, it's completely opaque in one thin coat.  In the picture, the texture looks weird because it's just the one thin coat over a ridge filler and my left hand was dry by the time I finished the right, but I wanted to show you how saturated the color in this one is.

CND Urban Oasis Nail Polish, One Coat

I added one coat of Teal Sparkle to it, which completely transformed it.  This is with top coat.

CND Teal Sparkle Nail Polish over CND Urban Oasis, One Coat Each

That's the update for today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Dior Timeless Gold

Good evening, Dear Reader!

I've been neglecting you again this week, I'm sorry.  It's not just you that I've been neglecting, it's my nails too.  I've been working on a project that's tough on a manicure, so I haven't changed polish this week, which means I didn't have any pictures to show you.  Today, however, when faced with a scraggly, chippy, five day old manicure, I finally changed it.

I used Dior Timeless Gold, one of Dior's Holiday 2010 polishes.  It's a light gold, very pretty, and it was perfect in two coats.  I'm really happy that I decided to spring for this one.

Dior Timeless Gold Nail Polish, Two Coats

That's the update for now, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!  

Revlon Fire Fox

Good morning, Dear Reader!

I've been neglecting you this week because I've been pretty uninspired as far as interesting manicures lately.  Then yesterday, I saw the display for the Revlon Matte Suedes, which I've seen before, but they appealed to me enough to pick them up yesterday, and I was eager to try Fire Fox out.

I used a ridge filling base coat, then three coats of Fire Fox.  Mine was quite thin, so it needed three to get opaque.  Once it dried, I absolutely hated it.  My vision was of a vivid, shimmery red that was matte, so it wouldn't really look real.  What I got was a moderately shiny, not too shimmery, rubbery feeling thing happening.  I took a picture anyhow so I could tell you about it.

Revlon Fire Fox Nail Polish, Three Coats

The other weird thing was that there were parts that would not dry at all.  I didn't feel like doing my nails again, so I figured I'd top coat it.  I used RBL Matte top coat to see if that would make it look like what I had in mind.

Revlon Fire Fox Nail Polish Finished with RBL Matte Top Coat

Now it's matte and the rubbery feeling is gone, but there's still no shimmer to speak of.  To be honest, if I have to add matte top coat to take the shine off of a matte nail polish, that's a kind of crappy polish.  So I'll likely return Fire Fox's friends that have not been opened because this was no fun at all.

That's the update for today, Dear Reader.  Until next time, love and nail polish to you!