I'm a sucker for a pretty coral, and this definitely fits the description. Splendor also has gold shimmer running through it, but it isn't always noticeable. Not really season-appropriate, but who cares? The formula is on the thick side and it does take a bit of finessing to apply this smoothly, but the extra effort is definitely worth it.





Do you polish your nails according to season, or do you wear whatever you want whenever? I think I'm a little of both!



Paul & Joe polishes are $14 and can be found at Apothica.com.

2 coats

My favorite from the collection! Such a gorgeous, dusty green. I've loaned this one to a few of my friends, and I think it's safe to say: this is gorgeous on everyone! So chic. The formula is nice and pigmented - I barely needed a second coat!

Hello, readers! Long time now post. I've been ridiculously busy with life - you all know how it goes. I have tons to catch up on, including my 600 follower giveaway. Please bear with me while I play catch up and post things you may have already seen a million times by now! I'll try to throw in some current things as well. If you have any swatch/review requests, please feel free to contact me!



Onto the review...



I picked up a bunch of AA's new shades recently, and since I've been on an indefinite neutral phase, Dance was the first one I tried.

2 coats

Dance is a pale nude with a touch of pink. It's pretty neutral, not leaning too cool or too warm. It's squishy and sheer - probably could have used a third coat. The formula is nice and smooth, not too thick or runny. I had no issues with the application. I thought it might look very similar to Deborah Lippmann's Naked, but it is slightly paler and pinker.

1 coat over 2 coats of Dance, with flash

1 coat over 2 coats of Dance, natural lighting

Tart with a Heart is such a fun polish! It has gold, silver, and holo microglitter as well as round holo glitter all suspended in a clear base. It is on the thick side, but that doesn't hinder the application much. I love that it's dense enough to just do one coat for layering. I bet it could be opaque on its own in three.

2 coats

It's true: the polish inside is just as gorgeous as the bottle. This is such a fun shade of pink! While you may have something close or perhaps a total dupe, all of P&J's polishes smell like roses. How's that for a leg up on the competition? This applied beautifully and dried with a smooth, glossy finish.

This has been out since Spring, but I guess they are officially releasing it with the Autumn/Winter collection. This is great for those who missed out on it the first time around!








No More Waity Katie is an interesting polish. It's a sheer smoky grey with bright lavender glitter. I layered a coat of NMWK over Misa Office Polish-tics because I just didn't care for the swatches I'd seen of NMWK on its own. Here's Office Polish-tics by itself in case you're wondering:






Yep, it's that pigmented and awesome in just one coat. Many of my favorite one-coaters are by Misa. I love this shade so much! It's one of the few polishes I've worn several times.





In other news, today is my birthday! It does't really count because 23 is a nothing age, but I'm going to treat myself to a couple Lippmanns, I think. :)

As promised, here is the other half of Essie's 2011 Resort collection.

2 coats

Da Bush is definitely my favorite of the bunch. I'm a sucker for dusty cremes, and this one fits the bill. The warm, greyed-out green makes me think of the honey badger at night, hunting prey. I also love the formula. No problems whatsoever. I prefer this to Stranger Tides.

3 coats, 1coat Seche Vite

You almost got me, Essie. I *almost* fell in love with this whole collection, but Fair Game is one hurdle I can't get over. It's a steel blue with some green and lots of fine shimmer, I guess. The color is definitely interesting, but it's not my favorite. The formula is definitely not my friend. It was gloopy, and noticed it didn't do a great job self-leveling. I had to add a coat of SV to even it out. I will try this again, and I'm sure with a couple drops of thinner it will behave a lot more nicely.





Which shade do you love most from this collection? Was the Resort or Braziliant collection more applealing to you?

Dearest Francois,


I love your polishes. Really, I do. When your Spring 2011 collection was released, and Desperado showed up at my door, I was so excited! When I put it on, that excitement was crushed. Totally unflattering. I didn't even bother posting it on my blog, can you believe it? Well, fast forward a few months to your Summer 2011 collection. You decided on a bright white and *cries* a gold. I'm not sure if you know this, Francois, but I have a serious aversion to gold. Nevertheless, I still placed an order for them because I love your polishes. I was a little apprehensive when they arrived. I mean, after the Spring debacle, who would blame me? Fortunately, Ecumé was not a total let down.



Opaque in two coats, it really is a beautiful white. But that's just it - it's white! I'd totally sing a different tune if it were a one-coater, but it's not. I am still greatful that you were so kind to release something that I will actually wear, though. Even if it's just a white.




Kismet, on the other hand, brought back the trauma I had only recently recovered from (via the Spring debacle), and once again I find myself asking why? Why, Francois, do you insist on crushing my dreams? On me, Kismet is 3 coats of disaster and mayhem. There are no other words. None.



I know these shades must look good on someone, but since that someone is not me, I humbly request that you stop coming up with these shades.



Forever (or until you release another ugly gold) Yours,

Lola B. of BurbBeauty.com



P.S. Galion is a huge step in the right direction!





I'm glad I got that off my chest!



Love it? Hate? Let me know how you feel about this collection.

1 coat

How aodrable is this color?? I'm a sucker for periwinkles, and the fact that it's a one coater makes it even more beautiful. There is also a subtle shimmer that is borderline imperceptable, but it adds a little somethin'. You just can't beat a $1.99 polish that looks this good!

I love Summer collections. Not only are they always full of fun, bright shades, but there is also no school, which means there is more time to enjoy them! I was especially looking forward to Essie's Resort collection, since last year's was such a surprise love for me. Splash of Grenadine and Lapis of Luxury are both in my top 20.

2 coats

2 coats

2 coats, 1 coat of CND Gold Sparkle on top

Artful Dodger is a slightly dusty blue with a touch of green. As gorgeous as it is on its own (sorry I don't have a pic of it!), I needed some shimmer in my life after a full weekend of Naked. I love what CND's Gold Sparkle does for this. So pretty!



Artful Dodger is available at butterlondon.com (though I recommend getting it from a b&m Ulta or beauty.com), and CND Gold Sparkle is available at several etailers.

No new posts in over a week, and now I'm going to show you a nude? For shame! Bear with me while I fawn over my new favorite (dare I say HG) nude:

2 coats

This polish taught me a very important lesson: don't loan polish that are not easily replaced! Several months ago, I loaned Rehab to friend, who subsequently loaned it to a friend of hers (how RUDE!) who "lost" it. Of course, I was extremely  upset  because I hadn't even worn it yet! I couldn't even ask my friend to replace it since Rehab was vhtf for me in the first place. Anyway, I was just recently able to get another bottle thanks to some incredible luck on eBay.

3 coats

2 coats

3 coats

P.Y.T, Girls Just Want To Have Fun, Daytripper

Not the most unique color but still a great choice for summer!

I couldn't decide what kind of nail art to do for my Easter mani, so I gave up and just went with this:



Holos always save the day. :)

Here's a new shade from the China Glaze Island Escape collection. Since Electric Pineapple is the polish I was most excited about, of course it was the first I swatched!

I Juggle Men, from OPI's Femme de Cirque collection, is a conundrum to me. It shrinks everything it touches!







Oh, and look at the hilarity that happens if you add Seche Vite on top:

Guess what I found at a dusty! A beautiful, brand new bottle of Merry Midnight. Rather than hoard this and keep it as a second backup, I decided to share the wealth. It's stunning, really:

The 36th comment is Cilucia! Congrats! Please contact me (contact button ------>) within 48 hours to claim your prize. :)





Next up is my backup of OPI Merry Midnight, so keep an eye out for that giveaway post tomorrow.

I'm really loving my *close my eyes and grab* method of choosing a polish to wear. Today I grabbed Dulce de Leche from my OPI drawer.

2 coats

I've been on shimmer/duochrome/holo overload for the last few weeks, so I just wanted something simple for today's mani. I closed my eyes and reached into my OPI drawer, and this is what I grabbed:

The sun is not my friend today. I seriously waited until the last possible minute to leave for class, hoping the sun would show up. Of course 10 minutes into my drive, out comes the sun! So, today I have some phone pictures to share with you.





How gorgeous is this! This is one coat of Man of La Manch layered over Illamasqua Baptiste. It's very thin, so I'm not sure how many coats it would take for full opacity on its own.



Man of La Mancha is from the Holiday on Broadway 2003 collection. Despite its über discontinued status, it's still pretty affordable on eBay.

Misa Paradise Shore is the epitome of a Summer collection. Brightly colored and packed with shimmer. Sign me up!

I love my texting thumb. My texting thumb keeps me connected to the world. She is always there for me when I need her. She always matches my phone because, well, they're a team:










So yeah, I'm kind of definitely a dork.

Listen, if you don't own this, you need to swap/dusty hunt/buy at a totally reasonable price/kill (jk) for this. K? Alright!

Exhibiton, Prism

Pulse, Eden

Annnnnd a little Hello Kitty









Swatches coming soon!