tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58513044096559600992024-03-13T08:38:04.026-07:00Mommy and R.E.I.T.'s Nail BlogJenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-71255202380058971492011-07-13T07:45:00.000-07:002011-07-13T08:38:00.785-07:00Birthday Haul!For my birthday this year, I wanted something simple. I wanted something useful. And I wanted it to come through the mail because it is HOT outside.<br /><br />So, I ordered nail polish from Walgreens. As far as I know, they're the only place online to order Sinful Colors, and while a lot of the more expensive brands have released some cool colors, I was feeling extraordinarily cheap. But I do like Sinful, I think they might be the very best drugstore brand, and they certainly have the most colors.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qSIno_yvtRU/Th2w7rDYnTI/AAAAAAAAAgc/bE3knB2FnwE/s1600/IMG_2513.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qSIno_yvtRU/Th2w7rDYnTI/AAAAAAAAAgc/bE3knB2FnwE/s400/IMG_2513.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628849648498679090" /></a>From L-R, on my scarred up old desk, Sinful Colors "Love Nails", "24/7", "Midnight Blue", "Purple Diamond", Wet N' Wild "FuchsiaRama", Sinful Colors "Boogie Nights"<div><br /></div><div>I'm a bit disappointed with "Love Nails" because it looks so similar to the other shimmery blue polishes I have from them. Shimmery blue is to Sinful Colors as orangey reds are to Essie. But I'll give it a try.</div><div><br /></div><div>I plan on swatching these throughout the week (I'm on vacation, y'all!), and tomorrow REIT will be showing how awesome <i>her</i> nails look today.</div><div><br /></div><div>Feels good to blog about nail polish again!</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-50350416378391303582011-05-10T10:29:00.001-07:002011-05-10T11:13:47.675-07:00How I'm Faking "Glitter In The Air"I've been crazy busy with work, but I had to share this. Everyone has been going crazy over Deborah Lippman's "Glitter In The Air" from her summer collection. I'm sorry, but I cannot stand the thought of spending twenty-dollars on yet another chunky glitter polish, especially when so many of the reviews seemed to be, "Yes, it's very sheer and a bit disappointing, but DEBORAH LIPPMAN!"Another common component also seems to be "It doesn't look the way it looks in the bottle." So, here's how I'm faking "Glitter In The Air":<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XgC-DXCxl4U/Tcl_CgN19CI/AAAAAAAAAeI/1NgZNkZjeWQ/s1600/IMG_2469.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XgC-DXCxl4U/Tcl_CgN19CI/AAAAAAAAAeI/1NgZNkZjeWQ/s400/IMG_2469.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605150892223755298" /></a><br /><br />It doesn't look like the swatches I've seen, but it does look the way it looks in the bottle, or darn close!<br /><br />Here's what I used:<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uGfb8T0MV58/Tcl_bOeAS2I/AAAAAAAAAeQ/lAaPiD6oSSs/s1600/IMG_2466.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uGfb8T0MV58/Tcl_bOeAS2I/AAAAAAAAAeQ/lAaPiD6oSSs/s400/IMG_2466.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605151316956433250" /></a><br /><br />I achieved this look by putting down one coat of "Poseidon" from Nox's Twilight collection (R). I got that one for $1.74 on clearance. Nice. Then, I used a coat of NYC "Starry Silver Glitter" (L), a clear base with fine silver holo glitter and chunky blue and pink glitter. I then repeated those steps, and finished it off with a very thin coat of Mary Kay "Natural Pink" (C), a very sheer neutral creme. It doesn't look pink at all, as you can see in the photo.<div><br /></div><div>Well, it's back to the grind for me. I'm going to spend the rest of my work day admiring my very cheap alternative to that expensive polish!</div><div><br /><br /></div>Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-91800347594164962042011-03-25T12:37:00.001-07:002011-03-25T13:12:36.624-07:00Glitter Crazed Accident<div style="text-align: left;">Today, I took a journey into the heart of what it means to take a manicure a step too far. Or several steps too far.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>I started off wearing Rescue Beauty Lounge "Catherine". I love, love, love the Real Housewives of The Tudor Dynasty collection, but I don't wear the colors often because, well, I just don't like the formula. They dry slowly and never really harden up enough to avoid marks. So, I woke up this morning with lots of little cuts in the surface and tip wear. I wanted to get at least a full day of wear out of it. So I decided I should put a layer of something over it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I decided that E.L.F. "Golden Goddess" would work well over it. I'm sure I broke some kind of nail polish etiquette, layering a .99 grocery store polish over RBL, but I didn't intend to blog about it at the time. I let it dry, then decided that I needed tips. And I hadn't worn Orly "Galaxy Girl" for a long time. I taped off my nails and added tips. Then, I really loved the way the tips looked. So I did the whole nail:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0LRfUnmPQvY/TYzzJlpbA2I/AAAAAAAAAdU/2IqzUqHDNFs/s400/IMG_2359.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588108583710163810" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For those keeping score at home, this is three thin coats of RBL "Catherine", and a coat each of "Golden Goddess" and "Galaxy Girl", plus a base coat, and a coat of Out The Door for each polish color. Since things were already thick, I thought, "Surely there must be some way to add more to this abomination." I just could decide what:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K0P8I5Q3_1Y/TYz0Fq_XuGI/AAAAAAAAAdc/Ez8xK7-o2sA/s400/IMG_2367.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Studio M "Fast Play" on the thumb, Sinful Colors "Hottie" on the index, then Sinful Colors "UFO" and Sinful Colors "Pinky Glitter". The pinky is Sinful Colors "Nail Junkie". I think I could have planned the naming scheme better. They actually did all look different in person. I'll definitely be trying "Nail Junkie" over black sometime soon.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After all this, I decided to use Finger Paints "Sparkle Top Coat" over it, and then I decided I was probably forgetting to take my anti-depressant and took it all off.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And that, my friends, is a story that had no point, a manicure that went nowhere.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-13297511937737233442011-03-23T06:56:00.000-07:002011-03-23T07:08:05.012-07:00Tigers in 2011! Whooo hooo!I live in Michigan, and in Michigan, you have two choices. Either be a fan of the Detroit Tigers, or a fan of the Yankees, because Derek Jeter lived here. I would rather let a hamster bite out my own eyes than be a Yankees fan. No offense, New Yorkers. But I'm a Detroit fan.<br /><br />Last night, I asked my twitter peeps what I should do with my nails, and my friend Jill, a raging Tigers supporter, suggested I do a Tigers manicure. So, without further ado:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bkagX4nA5U0/TYn8zZ_TKWI/AAAAAAAAAdE/mRC6DcFmdD8/s1600/IMG_2355.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bkagX4nA5U0/TYn8zZ_TKWI/AAAAAAAAAdE/mRC6DcFmdD8/s400/IMG_2355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587274772809722210" border="0" /></a>For the base, I used Studio M "Orange Hot". For the french tips, Orly "Royal Navy". Which is much more sparkly if you store the bottle upside down. I don't remember who blogged that tip, but it has made m appreciate that polish so much more. For the tiger stripes, I used a Kiss art striper polish.<br /><br />Of course, R.E.I.T. had to get in on the orange act:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dqJbQOblDso/TYn9jtRLXrI/AAAAAAAAAdM/NX4XkCW2AyA/s1600/IMG_2347.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dqJbQOblDso/TYn9jtRLXrI/AAAAAAAAAdM/NX4XkCW2AyA/s400/IMG_2347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587275602618703538" border="0" /></a>...but she couldn't hold her fingers still long enough to get a good picture.<br /><br />You might have noticed that my raggedy cuticles look a lot better these days. I've ditched the cuticle oil in favor of a different product to treat the dryness, and it works like a charm. I'm almost embarrassed to say what it is, because it seems like such a "duh, of course that would work" solution. I've been rubbing super emollient foot cream with alpha hydroxy into my cuticles once a day. This also works as a cuticle remover. So, things are looking much better around my nails these days. I just hope I remember this <span style="font-style: italic;">next</span> winter.Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-45087376130685947242011-03-17T10:33:00.000-07:002011-03-17T10:53:15.807-07:00Luck of the Bloggish!I'm sure you're just dying to know what we've been wearing during my unplanned (read: I was lazy) hiatus from the nail blog. We celebrated St. Patrick's day last Friday, since we're in our thirties and have kids that get up early for school and general mayhem.<br /><br />So, what did I wear to THE green event of the season?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7uwrUtcZI9I/TYJIEbZJmPI/AAAAAAAAAc8/hjeLguBUX3A/s1600/IMG_2340.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7uwrUtcZI9I/TYJIEbZJmPI/AAAAAAAAAc8/hjeLguBUX3A/s400/IMG_2340.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585105728802756850" border="0" /></a><br />Even though China Glaze "Mistletoe Kisses" is technically a Christmas color, you can't deny that the outrageous green sparkles make it perfect for pulling double duty on St. Paddy's day.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E9F3hBFTGlc/TYJIEF6-RiI/AAAAAAAAAc0/NuyJiLzZgwk/s1600/IMG_2329.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E9F3hBFTGlc/TYJIEF6-RiI/AAAAAAAAAc0/NuyJiLzZgwk/s400/IMG_2329.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585105723039041058" border="0" /></a><br />Here it is with some tip wear, because this photo was taken post-party, through what has to be the worst hangover anyone in the known universe has ever suffered.<br /><br />I will also be wearing this color to Ann Arbor's Hash Bash on April 2nd, unless I decide to get crafty and put some Marijuana-themed nail art on there.Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-39211806114134735002011-02-19T07:05:00.001-08:002011-02-19T07:34:48.022-08:00The Happiest Manicure EverR.E.I.T. and I live in Michigan, and as you probably know, Michigan is the single darkest, coldest, most depressing place on earth during the winter. It's wet and dank and gray all the time, from about November to about May. But then this week, a miracle happened! The sun came out, in February! And the temps were in the upper forties! I went outside without a coat on!<br /><br />To commemorate this amazing occasion, I crafted the funniest, sunniest, most happiest manicure you've ever seen:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a289g3iS1Ns/TV_hf6TmKwI/AAAAAAAAAcI/NtwwmvDunWM/s1600/IMG_2303.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a289g3iS1Ns/TV_hf6TmKwI/AAAAAAAAAcI/NtwwmvDunWM/s400/IMG_2303.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575422802051607298" border="0" /></a>Two coats of Pure Ice "Superstar" (white) as a base for two coats of Studio M "Neon Caution", topped off with a coat of Milani "Gems". Super sunny and bright, perfect for these precious few sunny days.Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-43475291383122956902011-02-15T07:32:00.001-08:002011-02-15T08:20:44.139-08:00The Valentine's Day Manicure ConundrumValentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays. One, you get candy, usually. Two, it's the one day of the year that pink and red are totally acceptable when paired together. As such, I planned my Valentine manicure so as to achieve maximum foofiness. Last month, I gave this one a test run:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--0QRvXzfP-E/TVqminNTMLI/AAAAAAAAAb4/M-iaZpcvry0/s1600/IMG_2174.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--0QRvXzfP-E/TVqminNTMLI/AAAAAAAAAb4/M-iaZpcvry0/s400/IMG_2174.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573950602394939570" border="0" /></a>That was too saccharine, even for me. So, I decided to go with something more like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eNBnsbCjDOk/TVqm-s0qhlI/AAAAAAAAAcA/EUPAu9yoNjI/s1600/IMG_2171.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eNBnsbCjDOk/TVqm-s0qhlI/AAAAAAAAAcA/EUPAu9yoNjI/s400/IMG_2171.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573951084938561106" border="0" /></a>Which was a little more understated. But ultimately, I didn't wear any red or any pink on V-Day. I wore OPI "Simmer and Shimmer". I guess I just wasn't feeling the V-day spirit.<br /><br />R.E.I.T., however, had her own plans for Valentine's Day. She wanted to wear OPI "Black Shatter" over red. Which would have been an awesome combination, if we actually <i>owned</i> Black Shatter. Mommy had to get resourceful. R.E.I.T. ended up wearing China Glaze "Salsa" with a very, very thin coat of Sinful Colors "Black on Black" over the top. The brush strokes were just enough to convince her that she was wearing "Black Shatter".Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-30045868865367168432011-02-08T04:04:00.000-08:002011-02-08T04:04:00.730-08:00Random ManicureInspired by Chloe at <a href="http://chloesnails.blogspot.com/">Chloe's Nails</a> I decided to do another patchwork manicure a few weeks ago. I wanted to mix up finishes, so I went glossy glitter and matte black. Take a look, and I'll tell you how I did it:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TVCm2fUWCXI/AAAAAAAAAbo/BfapMUXJI-g/s1600/IMG_2177.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TVCm2fUWCXI/AAAAAAAAAbo/BfapMUXJI-g/s400/IMG_2177.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571136194107279730" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TVCm22TG_sI/AAAAAAAAAbw/TxzUHiRuf58/s1600/IMG_2186.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TVCm22TG_sI/AAAAAAAAAbw/TxzUHiRuf58/s400/IMG_2186.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571136200276115138" border="0" /></a>Again, please excuse my cuticles, the winters here are brutal to my skin. Also, I just got that nubby ring finger to grow out to a normal human length, and wouldn't you know, the middle broke!<br /><br />Anyway, I started with Color Club's "Bewitching" which is a vinyl matte black. I didn't care for the finish as much as I thought I would, so I topped that with a coat of Hard Candy's "Matte-ly In Love" top coat, and waited for it to thoroughly dry. With my nails dry and matte to my liking, I carefully taped off alternating sections (I didn't want every nail to be identical) and applied Finger Paints "Easel-y Entertained", a stunning blurple glitter in blurple jelly. Yes, blurple. I said it.<br /><br />After my patches of "Easel-y Entertained" were dry, I taped off yet another section and applied Studio M's "Fast Play". "Fast Play" doesn't seem to have a Color Club equivalent, at least, not a current one. It's a translucent purple jelly with irridescent gold glitter. That's what's responsible for the green sparkle in the indoor-lighting picture.<br /><br />After that, I carefully applied Out The Door to just the glitter polished parts, and voila!<br /><br />R.E.I.T. approves of this manicure, saying, "Is sfarkally!" That's her new favorite kind of polish. The sfrakally kind."Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-53431664534756046752011-02-07T17:42:00.000-08:002011-02-07T18:06:13.829-08:00Wet N' Wild Fast Dry "Gray's Anatomy"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TVCkikpgoMI/AAAAAAAAAbg/e0jg8v3R0SA/s1600/IMG_2222.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TVCkikpgoMI/AAAAAAAAAbg/e0jg8v3R0SA/s400/IMG_2222.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571133652917592258" border="0" /></a><br />As <a href="http://scrangie.com/">Scrangie</a> pointed out, Wet N' Wild's "Gray's Anatomy is a spot-on dupe of Deborah Lippman's "Wicked Game". For those keeping score at home, that's two new Wet N' Wild polishes that mimic Lippmans. And thank god, because I would feel really guilty layering sixteen dollar polish over seven dollar polish, which is what I did with "Gray's Anatomy".<br /><br />But first, "Gray's Anatomy" on its own:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TVCiJ7jF_SI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/m2RMIGzaITw/s1600/IMG_2224.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TVCiJ7jF_SI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/m2RMIGzaITw/s400/IMG_2224.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571131030544710946" border="0" /></a>The coverage on this one was... strange. There were spots on my nails where it seemed like no matter how many coats I used, the polish wasn't going there. My nails were clean and free from oils, and I used a basecoat, so I'm wondering what went wrong. Next time, I'll try a different basecoat, maybe it just doesn't get along with OPI.<br /><br />I love this color. I love it because it's gray, but it's still delicate. I love the rosey flash to it, and I love that the green flash doesn't look sickly. I also love that it's a buildable color, so it works for layering. Like here, when I wore it over Essie "Sexy Divide":<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TVCjuZcw7jI/AAAAAAAAAbY/Dit4kVr568c/s1600/IMG_2236.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TVCjuZcw7jI/AAAAAAAAAbY/Dit4kVr568c/s400/IMG_2236.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571132756558147122" border="0" /></a>I wish the picture did this combo justice. "Gray's Anatomy" turned "Sexy Divide" into a chameleon. In some lights, it was a shimmery purple ("Sexy Divide" is a dark purple shimmer to begin with). In others, it was black. In my bedroom, it looked hunter green. This will definitely be a polish I will return to when I want to experiment with layering.<br /><br />So yeah, Lippman for sixteen bucks, Wet N' Wild for one or two, depending where you buy it.Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-60989246282006160672011-02-06T14:12:00.001-08:002011-02-06T14:53:39.820-08:00A Tale Of Two Top Coats<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TU8fK_dGH7I/AAAAAAAAAa4/lMfhkBLFJL8/s1600/IMG_2223.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TU8fK_dGH7I/AAAAAAAAAa4/lMfhkBLFJL8/s320/IMG_2223.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570705537773215666" border="0" /></a><br />When R.E.I.T. and I first got into the nail blogging world, we were using just one type of topcoat. Okay, to be honest, R.E.I.T. never uses a top coat. It's enough of a challenge for her to keep her nails from smearing with just the color on them (she's perfected her own technique of holding both hands straight up in the air and whispering "don't touch don't touch don't touch" over and over for a few minutes). So, for her, one or two coats of nail color are all she can stand to sit through, at least where drying time is concerned.<br /><br />So, we got started, I was using Sally Hansen "Hard as Nails" in clear as my top coat. Why? Because it's two bucks at Dollar General, always in stock, and it really does make your polish super hard, which I do like. Ever since they took the cancer-causing stuff out of nail polish, it always feels gummy and not quite dry to me, and I cherish the old formula stuff I have that does dry to a really hard finish.<br /><br />However, if you've ever used Sally Hansen "Hard as Nails", you know it's thick, takes a while to dry, and dents in a stiff breeze while it's drying. Nail blogs introduced me to what I was pretty sure was the second coming: Seche Vite.<br /><br />Seche Vite seems to be the preferred topcoat among nail bloggers and nail blog readers. It really is spectacular stuff. It dries fast, the finish is hard, and it's super shiny. Yes, bubbling and shrinking can be a problem, but I'll get back to that later. You see, I had an altogether different problem with Seche Vite: when the bottle got down to about half-full, it turned into glue. Where at first it was easy to apply, it became a nightmare of stringy things and gloopy, wavy finishes. I bought another bottle, but at $7.99 for a single bottle, I wasn't really all that happy about getting just half of the product. When the second bottle also turned into Gluey McGee, I went back to Sally's to get yet another-- what can I say, I was hooked on having a decent top coat. But I complained as the woman at the register was ringing it up. "Do you think polish thinner would work?"<br />She blinked at me. "Why don't you just buy the good stuff?"<br />"The good stuff," which she promptly directed me to, was INM Out The Door. Look at that picture up top again. For $7.99, I got .5 fl oz of Seche Vite. For <b>$10.99</b> I got 2.5 fl oz of Out The Door. And you know what? Out The Door is the superior product.<br /><br />First of all, Out The Door doesn't cause the dreaded tip shrinkage that Seche Vite does. No matter how I applied Seche Vite, either immediately after apply the nail color or waiting five minutes to do it, Seche Vite always caused my polish to shrink. Out The Door doesn't dull the way Seche Vite does after a few days of wear, even when I'm using hand cream like I'm trying to win a contest for most hand cream used in a single day. It's far more durable, as well. I can wash dishes, clean the house, lug laundry around without my polish chipping.<br /><br />Most importantly, I've been using it for months now and it hasn't thickened. At all. So, rather than continually thinning your Seche Vite, maybe give Out The Door a try. You can get it in a smaller quantity, but if you do your nails as much as I do, you might want to spring for the larger bottle.<br /><br />In other news, I found the perfect place to take nail and nail polish photos: my upstairs hallway. That's where the top coat photo was taken. I'd been bemoaning the lack of good light for picture taking in the house, when it dawned on me that the blank wall behind our stairs makes the perfect backdrop to replace the canvas we used to use... before R.E.I.T. decorated it with crayons.Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-45257305531627235132011-02-03T04:04:00.000-08:002011-02-03T04:04:00.344-08:00Studio M "Oh Joy!" = The Perfect Layering PolishA couple of weeks ago, my friend Jill sent me an excited message via Yahoo! messenger. She was at Meijer, buying polish for <b>twenty-nine cents</b>. I didn't really care what it was, I wanted her to grab me some, too. I'm a sucker for a deal.<br /><br />That twenty-nine cent buy turned out to be the best layering polish I've ever seen. In the bottle, Studio M's "Oh Joy!" looks like a boring white sheer with a pearly finish. Alone, it's a sheer, sparkly polish that's just so-so. But layer it over another color (like Essie's "Playa Del Platinum", one of my faves), it's magic!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TUmd0_77j9I/AAAAAAAAAas/B2JX3jHmocQ/s1600/IMG_2215.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TUmd0_77j9I/AAAAAAAAAas/B2JX3jHmocQ/s320/IMG_2215.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569155948061888466" border="0" /></a>Winter is wreaking havoc on my cuticles, but I had to share. "Oh Joy!" turned "Playa Del Platinum" from a greige cream to a silvery foil. I can't stop looking at my nails with this on!<br /><br />Unfortunately, "Oh Joy!" has been clearanced out of Meijer, and I can't seem to find a Color Club dupe (which is strange, because Studio M basically <i>is</i> Color Club in different bottles). I should have run out and bought several bottles, because this one is going to be a fave.Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-88490715098451014932011-02-02T04:43:00.000-08:002011-02-02T09:59:55.249-08:00Everbody wants to be Deborah Lippman."Inspired by" polishes seem to be out of control lately. We can't have been the only ones to notice this.<br /><br />Last week, I picked up the much more reasonable alternative to Deborah Lippman's "Happy Birthday", a twenty-dollar polish that I just cannot bring myself to purchase. At just under four dollars, Milani "Gems" was a buy I could live with.<br /><br />But after I picked that one up, I noticed Wet N' Wild had their own "just like but not quite" version of "Happy Birthday" in "Party of Five Glitters".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TUmZV8M7qmI/AAAAAAAAAac/laop7mlpVF8/s1600/IMG_2203.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TUmZV8M7qmI/AAAAAAAAAac/laop7mlpVF8/s320/IMG_2203.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569151016437000802" border="0" /></a>These are incredibly difficult to photograph in the bottle because they're so intensely shiny. It's also difficult to tell the difference between them until they're on the nail:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TUmZWRBfh2I/AAAAAAAAAak/OgD2-TIsmbU/s1600/IMG_2194.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TUmZWRBfh2I/AAAAAAAAAak/OgD2-TIsmbU/s320/IMG_2194.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569151022026164066" border="0" /></a><i>Top to bottom: "Gems" "Party of Five Glitters" "Gems" "Party of Five Glitters" over Sinful Colors "Black on Black"</i><br /><br />As you can see, the biggest difference between the two polishes is distribution on the nail. This could be a result of the brush design. The Milani brush is much thinner than the Wet N' Wild brush, requiring more strokes for coverage. This deposits more glitter on the nail.<br /><br />The only other differences I could tell was that "Gems" includes orange and gold glitter, which are absent from "Party of Five Glitters". The green glitter in "Party of Five Glitters" is smaller than the green glitter in "Gems", and that's about it. They're both incredibly similar, and I wore them for two days before they actually started to look dissimilar.<br /><br />I don't have Lippman's "Happy Birthday", but at this point, I don't think I need it. I've got two "inspired by"s right here! As R.E.I.T. says, "Is sfarkaly!" ("It's sparkly").Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-2353311772327311962011-01-21T10:00:00.000-08:002011-01-21T10:02:48.151-08:00We've moved!The lack of posting must be explained! We have moved into a new house, and in the course of all of it, sacrifices (like blogging about nails) have been made! Well return to more frequent posting just as soon as we're unpacked!Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-79081991095380160142010-12-21T12:32:00.001-08:002010-12-21T12:36:52.475-08:00Another manicure for the holidays!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TREPzW8L-7I/AAAAAAAAAZY/Sq3MZi_05f4/s1600/IMG_1952.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TREPzW8L-7I/AAAAAAAAAZY/Sq3MZi_05f4/s320/IMG_1952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553237190530300850" border="0" /></a>Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-80060488864669821782010-12-16T13:28:00.001-08:002010-12-16T13:37:03.005-08:00Two more holiday manicures for the 12 days of the Holidays<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TQqFLi5nQFI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/VlZzXRbE6xw/s1600/IMG_1950.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TQqFLi5nQFI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/VlZzXRbE6xw/s320/IMG_1950.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551395924081066066" border="0" /></a>This is a base of China Glaze "Jolly Holly" with L.A. colors red and black nail art polishes. Very easy design to do, just paint an equilateral cross, then two triangles, and use the black to outline the bow!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TQqE26MGm_I/AAAAAAAAAZI/nSFEs4VZmeE/s1600/IMG_1984.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TQqE26MGm_I/AAAAAAAAAZI/nSFEs4VZmeE/s320/IMG_1984.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551395569555381234" border="0" /></a>This is a white from Sinful Colors, along with Ulta's "Steppin' Out" and China Glaze "Jolly Holly" in a water-marble manicure. I topped it with China Glaze "Party Hearty" for some festive flash!Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-69757849944292487522010-12-14T06:20:00.000-08:002010-12-14T06:34:25.671-08:00The 12 Manicures of The Holiday SeasonI hesitate to call this "The Twelve Manicures of Christmas," because not everyone celebrates Christmas and these manicures are good for everyone!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TQd9_RfG0RI/AAAAAAAAAZA/RbHsAG5cXo0/s1600/IMG_1963.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TQd9_RfG0RI/AAAAAAAAAZA/RbHsAG5cXo0/s320/IMG_1963.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550543591736529170" /></a><br /><br />On the first day of manicures... holiday lights! This was really simple to do. I freehand painted a french tip, then used a black nail art polish to draw the "cord" in a wave-like pattern along the bottom of the french tip. If you don't have a nail art polish or a thin brush, you could use a toothpick dipped in black nail polish. Then I got supremely lazy and didn't even use a dotting tool to make the lights. I just used the brush from the bottles of polish. It would have been easier with a dotting tool or a toothpick, so I recommend that. Then just top coat it (carefully, so you don't smudge... I smudged a little) and you're set!Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-14577435984262503752010-11-29T07:21:00.000-08:002010-11-29T07:33:08.340-08:00Mommy Manicure MondayOur camera is broken! Actually, we just can't find the charger. So, in lieu of a NOTD, I thought I would share with you some really out there nail art I came up with earlier this year. This manicure was inspired by <a href="http://www.princepoppycock.com/fr_poppycock.cfm">Prince Poppycock</a>, who is an amazingly fun character who competed on America's Got Talent over the summer. This is my version of what a proper fop should be wearing on his nails:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TPPHFOABlYI/AAAAAAAAAYs/sobYgkPmdBQ/s1600/fopmanicureright.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TPPHFOABlYI/AAAAAAAAAYs/sobYgkPmdBQ/s320/fopmanicureright.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544994458694686082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TPPGqgemB5I/AAAAAAAAAYk/s5Zdd_AHFDc/s1600/fopmanicureleft.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TPPGqgemB5I/AAAAAAAAAYk/s5Zdd_AHFDc/s320/fopmanicureleft.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544993999798273938" border="0" /></a>This was Sinful Colors "Pinky Glitter", a nail art pen, and a lot of nailglue to get the beads to stick. Obviously, I didn't actually wear this manicure. I wouldn't have been able to do anything with hands. Since a fop would never stoop to manual labor, this would be the perfect manicure!Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-63634837442770082022010-11-24T14:05:00.000-08:002010-11-24T14:22:13.097-08:00Thanksgiving Manicure!This holiday season, I'm rocking a themed manicure!<br /><br />I started with OPI "Rising Star":<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TO2NhIaaaWI/AAAAAAAAAYM/WrRS8_NgwKM/s1600/IMG_1939.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TO2NhIaaaWI/AAAAAAAAAYM/WrRS8_NgwKM/s320/IMG_1939.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543242316696414562" border="0" /></a>Which is so pretty on its own, but I wanted to really get some festive fall coloring in there, so I added Finger Paints "Holly Good Time", which is a gold and red glitter:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TO2OTqgA8UI/AAAAAAAAAYU/bCFoVZ240I0/s1600/IMG_1942.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TO2OTqgA8UI/AAAAAAAAAYU/bCFoVZ240I0/s320/IMG_1942.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543243184840175938" border="0" /></a><br />I swear, that's not glitter on my cuticles. It's just the shine off the quick dry drops.<br /><br />I'm going to rock this tomorrow, and it will probably entertain me more than the parade!<br /><br />I suggested a similar look to R.E.I.T., but she was happier with Studio M "Frenzy" again. She's very in love with that color.Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-56167156082696909732010-11-22T05:00:00.000-08:002010-11-22T05:00:00.355-08:00China Glaze Holiday DupesI've had quite a few holiday lemmings this year, and among those was China Glaze's "Party Hearty". Unfortunately, the only way I could find it was in a three-pack with "Phat Santa" and "Jolly Holly". I'm not complaining about having the other two polishes, but it's just, well, I already had them. Or at least dupes of them. Since my Mommy Manicure Monday manicure is a boring old french, this Monday is dedicated to comparisons:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOpezDupKNI/AAAAAAAAAXs/QR1H7sdO9GE/s1600/IMG_1933.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOpezDupKNI/AAAAAAAAAXs/QR1H7sdO9GE/s320/IMG_1933.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542346522700097746" border="0" /></a>Ignore the upside down picture and concentrate on the bottles, if you would. This is China Glaze "Phat Santa" and Ulta "Steppin' Out". As you can see, in the bottle they're identical.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOpgj11DQlI/AAAAAAAAAX0/Ye5NsgNcpdQ/s1600/IMG_1936.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOpgj11DQlI/AAAAAAAAAX0/Ye5NsgNcpdQ/s320/IMG_1936.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542348460294095442" border="0" /></a>From l to r, "Phat Santa", "Steppin' Out", "Phat Santa", "Steppin' Out". There is absolutely no difference between these two colors. They could have been from the same bottle. This is two coats of each.<br /><br />Next up was Jolly Holly, which I knew right away looked familiar. It strongly resembled another polish from a fall collection that I really, really wanted back then, "Harvest Hues" by Finger Paints:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOphwAbTcNI/AAAAAAAAAX8/MwQIUFWxy_I/s1600/IMG_1932.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOphwAbTcNI/AAAAAAAAAX8/MwQIUFWxy_I/s320/IMG_1932.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542349768808952018" border="0" /></a>In the bottle, "Jolly Holly" looks slightly darker.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOpk3qro_jI/AAAAAAAAAYE/0ih1sbwNjnw/s1600/IMG_1937.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOpk3qro_jI/AAAAAAAAAYE/0ih1sbwNjnw/s320/IMG_1937.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542353198945730098" border="0" /></a>This isn't the best picture, I apologize. My camera battery was dying on me, so I tried to snap the picture quick. From l to r, "Jolly Holly", "Harvest Hues", "Jolly Holly", "Harvest Hues". These would be another exact dupe, but "Harvest Hues" has a gold shimmer to it that is only visible in the light. They're still close enough that I would have passed on "Jolly Holly" if it hadn't been in a three pack with "Party Hearty".<br /><br />So, there's the scoop. The two colors that everyone said looked too familiar really are familiar. If you have either "Harvest Hues" or "Steppin' Out", you don't need these two holiday colors from China Glaze.Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-75706983307440131362010-11-18T05:51:00.000-08:002010-11-17T09:19:27.531-08:00When layering attacks!This year there were sooooo many lemmings for me in the holiday collections everyone rolled out. My number one? "Mistletoe Kisses" by China Glaze. Usually, I get super bored of the red and green Christmas polishes, but "Mistletoe Kisses" rose ahead of the pack. It's a minty green glitter in a sheer green base, and it looks exactly like green Christmas lights on your nails:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQInoA0BrI/AAAAAAAAAW8/qFykSytrYuo/s1600/IMG_1914.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQInoA0BrI/AAAAAAAAAW8/qFykSytrYuo/s320/IMG_1914.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540562918421300914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQI-d46hGI/AAAAAAAAAXE/7zxcxlRuv9w/s1600/IMG_1913.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQI-d46hGI/AAAAAAAAAXE/7zxcxlRuv9w/s320/IMG_1913.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540563310840808546" border="0" /></a>I was so in love with this last night that I kept staring at my nails. But this morning, one of the other lemmings in the pack was calling to me... OPI "Simmer & Shimmer". The mad scientist part of my brain wondered what would happen if I layered the two glitters... would there be some shine-related explosion? Would the sheer amout of sparkle blind someone?<br /><br />The end result as nothing short of fab!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQJ8kpHgdI/AAAAAAAAAXM/Hkb763zUgIs/s1600/IMG_1915.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQJ8kpHgdI/AAAAAAAAAXM/Hkb763zUgIs/s320/IMG_1915.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540564377805488594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQKbwDJ6fI/AAAAAAAAAXU/xF8yeZgr1JY/s1600/IMG_1918.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQKbwDJ6fI/AAAAAAAAAXU/xF8yeZgr1JY/s320/IMG_1918.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540564913443432946" border="0" /></a><br />One coat of "Simmer & Shimmer" and Seche Vite (though I should have used two) and no clean up. I know the second photo is blurry, but it was the best way to show how much it cools down the already cool shade of "Mistletoe Kisses" and adds color and sparkle.<br /><br />I loved it on my left hand so much, I decided I just had to try layering OPI "Sparkle-icious" over "Mistletoe Kisses" on the right!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQMY-3Z7EI/AAAAAAAAAXc/0OQdSMoA_GE/s1600/IMG_1919.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQMY-3Z7EI/AAAAAAAAAXc/0OQdSMoA_GE/s320/IMG_1919.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540567064904330306" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQM8xxc4PI/AAAAAAAAAXk/IP9NiksusqU/s1600/IMG_1924.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQM8xxc4PI/AAAAAAAAAXk/IP9NiksusqU/s320/IMG_1924.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540567679864987890" border="0" /></a>Again, one coat "Sparkle-icious" and one coat Seche Vite over "Mistletoe Kisses" with no clean up (because I'm not really intending to walk around with two different manicures today).<br /><br />This will be my Fat Tuesday NOTD, because the colors are so suited to Mardi Gras! Where "Simmer & Shimmer" cooled things down, the gold and purple in "Sparkle-icious" really warmed things up.<br /><br />So there you have it! Tons of sparkle to be had this holiday season!Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-17122962985932691112010-11-17T08:25:00.000-08:002010-11-17T08:29:55.535-08:00What's Wednesday Wearing?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQCgENr8cI/AAAAAAAAAW0/mLzN6nMjwjM/s1600/IMG_1905.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TOQCgENr8cI/AAAAAAAAAW0/mLzN6nMjwjM/s320/IMG_1905.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540556191482769858" border="0" /></a><br />Didn't get a good picture of R.E.I.T.'s recent NOTD. She was too busy wanting to file her nails. Here, she's wearing Ulta "Tutu Cute". It's a very appropriate name for my little girl, who really is Tutu Cute.Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-66062424703783875412010-11-12T06:00:00.000-08:002010-11-12T07:04:57.961-08:00e.l.f. Holiday SetWhile at Target the other day, R.E.I.T. wisely said, "I want yook," and pointed to the health and beauty aisles. I couldn't say no. We found the e.l.f. (eyes. lips. face.) holiday promo end cap and this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNxYmkGDgJI/AAAAAAAAAWM/VnugeA1ysQQ/s1600/IMG_1893.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNxYmkGDgJI/AAAAAAAAAWM/VnugeA1ysQQ/s320/IMG_1893.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538399061306212498" border="0" /></a>The e.l.f. holiday nail trio. We'd never used e.l.f. before, but for three dollars, the price was right to try it out. Here's what you get:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNxapucyKKI/AAAAAAAAAWU/e_pXFFzjM9o/s1600/IMG_1894.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNxapucyKKI/AAAAAAAAAWU/e_pXFFzjM9o/s320/IMG_1894.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538401314648762530" border="0" /></a>From left to right we have "Cranberry", a holiday red with some subtle red glitter, "Golden Goddess", a translucent gold with varying size and shape gold glitter, and "Twinkle", a clear with opalescent round glitter.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNxb7NUqOuI/AAAAAAAAAWc/6-SAgvH2KbI/s1600/IMG_1896.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNxb7NUqOuI/AAAAAAAAAWc/6-SAgvH2KbI/s320/IMG_1896.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538402714505591522" border="0" /></a>My cuticles are so stained from "Mezzanotte Blue"! But here's "Cranberry". I'm not wearing a topcoat here so that you can see the finish of the actual polish. In a word, it's bumpy. However, it's also a really pretty red, perfect for the Christmas season.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNxkeluPeoI/AAAAAAAAAWk/1uIbloMKquw/s1600/IMG_1897.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNxkeluPeoI/AAAAAAAAAWk/1uIbloMKquw/s320/IMG_1897.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538412118443784834" border="0" /></a>Next up is "Golden Goddess". Since "Golden Goddess" is so sheer and the glitter so sparse, it really wouldn't work on its own, in my opinion. What you're seeing here is two coats over "Cranberry". We might do some layering experiments with this one soon, since it's a nice dazzler for New Years Eve.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNxlntcuXDI/AAAAAAAAAWs/J-Aipvw2tok/s1600/IMG_1901.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNxlntcuXDI/AAAAAAAAAWs/J-Aipvw2tok/s320/IMG_1901.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538413374648245298" border="0" /></a>And finally, "Twinkle". Which is a very strange polish. It's another one suitable for layering, but probably not that spectacular on its own. Here's one coat over a generic black polish from our Halloween clearance haul. It dries matte, which I was completely not expecting. Unfortunately, drying matte leaves the sparkle pretty dull. I'm wearing a coat of Seche Vite on the right finger, so you can see how cute it is.<br /><br />Overall, I'm pretty happy with this offering. The fact that it was three dollars helps that along greatly. If I had paid more than a couple of dollars for these, I probably wouldn't be so positive, but that's the nice thing about cheap nail polish. You don't have to judge your choices as much!Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-60284588578903381692010-11-11T06:19:00.000-08:002010-11-11T06:19:00.561-08:00Layering is magic.I have to admit, R.E.I.T. has always been more adventurous when it comes to layering unlikely nail polishes. I've worn Sinful Colors "Hottie" alone (pain in the butt to take off) and over light blues like Studio M "Whose That Girl". But I'd never though of layering a light glitter over a dark color, until Chloe over at <a href="http://chloesnails.blogspot.com/2010/11/sinfuls-hottiecouldnt-be-better-fitting.html">Chloe's Nails</a> tried it. She wore "Hottie" over black, and it looked fantastic! I resolved to try it.<br /><br />Tuesday night, I was on the fence about what to do with my nails. I know that on Saturday I absolutely have to wear a patchwork manicure of the Barielle argyle collection, at the request of a friend who wants to see the colors in person. I didn't want to wear neutrals all week. I looked through our collection and realized that I had never worn Borghese "Mezzanotte Blue". It had been sitting in my collection, unloved. So, I decided to wear it. I've seen this blue described as a creme in some places, but I'm not sure if I agree. There is a strange, translucent quality to it that is almost jelly-like. It's one of those "almost blacks", a color that you can only really tell what it is by looking at it slightly sideways. My nails looked glossy and dark, so I was happy.<br /><br />Then, Wednesday morning, when I was painting R.E.I.T.'s nails, it hit me: I could layer "Hottie" over "Mezzanotte Blue!" Here are the results:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNqtdaBDjOI/AAAAAAAAAV8/lVJyfMAvjzY/s1600/IMG_1886.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNqtdaBDjOI/AAAAAAAAAV8/lVJyfMAvjzY/s320/IMG_1886.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537929412517006562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNqtdO1A1TI/AAAAAAAAAV0/L9qGfqG06_g/s1600/IMG_1878.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNqtdO1A1TI/AAAAAAAAAV0/L9qGfqG06_g/s320/IMG_1878.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537929409513706802" border="0" /></a><br />I took about a hundred pictures, trying to capture how gorgeous this turned out, and none of them did it any justice. "Hottie" is a light blue jelly with opalescent glitter in various sizes. On it's own, it's a baby blue sparkler. Layered over "Mezzanotte Blue", it's orange and green and gold with hints of purple. I feel like I'm wearing pirate treasure. Or a mermaid tail. I can't stop looking at my fingers (dry cuticles and all). It's like having a little galaxy on my nails!<br /><br />Next time, I think I'll try it over Orly "Galaxy Girl" and see what the results are!Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-74722071381508340692010-11-10T06:12:00.001-08:002010-11-10T06:17:37.707-08:00What's Wednesday Wearing?We've been MIA for a week, mostly because we couldn't find our camera! But we'll make up for it, we promise!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNqo2MrH11I/AAAAAAAAAVs/598FFc_rDQk/s1600/IMG_1877.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNqo2MrH11I/AAAAAAAAAVs/598FFc_rDQk/s320/IMG_1877.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537924340873942866" border="0" /></a>Today, R.E.I.T. is wearing Studio M "Infusion", Studio M "Frenzy", and an unnamed pumpkin polish in green. After a few minutes she decided that one hand needed to be layered with Sinful Colors "Pinky Glitter" over it.<br /><br />Mommy: "What do you want to say about your nail polish today?"<br />R.E.I.T. "Is it pretty?"<br />Mommy: "It's very pretty."<br />R.E.I.T. "Uh-huh!"<br /><br />So, there you have it. It's very pretty.Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851304409655960099.post-74984212624893227782010-11-02T10:40:00.001-07:002010-11-02T10:59:49.524-07:00Mommy Manicure TuesdayBumped this forward one day, and I feel wretched, because I'm not actually wearing it right now! Last week, the patchwork manicure was featured on <a href="http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/2010/10/more-patchwork-manicures.html">Nouveau Cheap</a>, and we were like, "Rock on, I have to try that!" Then, someone in the comments to the Nouveau Cheap post attributed the awesome look to Chloe at <a href="http://chloesnails.blogspot.com/2010/11/patchwork-mani-tutorial.html">Chloe's Nails</a>, who has a tutorial up there. We may actually do a tutorial with our tips and tricks, because we actually modified our process a little bit after we did mommy's nails. But for now, Mommy's patchwork manicure.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNBRGlyhN8I/AAAAAAAAAVY/cMHvQOHdmzU/s1600/IMG_1874.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rEbMOBDzDGA/TNBRGlyhN8I/AAAAAAAAAVY/cMHvQOHdmzU/s320/IMG_1874.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535013115703408578" border="0" /></a><i>Essie "Playa del Platinum", Rimmel "Steel Grey", unnamed green pumpkin polish</i>Jenny Trouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08759432656586252689noreply@blogger.com2